


Two Sides of the Same Coin

by Cardboardghost



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Blood, Daniel’s unhealthy and he’s gonna ruin ur faves, Gwen deserves better, M/M, Max is gonna get so fucked up, Nobody Dies, There’s smut in one chapter, daniel's a dick, inspired by the family that slays together, it gets pretty gorey, murder family!, nobody major anyway, so is david, strap yourselves in kiddos this one's dark, this doesn’t end like... super happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-04-19 07:32:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 36,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14232366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cardboardghost/pseuds/Cardboardghost
Summary: Everything in Camp Campbell has more or less returned to normalcy after a new cult takeover. However, David's been acting very odd in the aftermath. And why does he keep checking his phone like an obsessed teenager? David has a secret, and it'll take everything he's got to keep it from a prying Max. But when Max sees something he was never meant to, his world spirals into paranoia, fear, and the horrible realization that David is only one side of a double edged sword.





	1. Why the Steel Cord?

The sun rose over a sleepy camp, barely breaking over the horizon before a loud thud could be heard from one of the counselor's cabins.

The source of the noise turned out to be a pair of brown boots belonging to a certain man. He had red hair, sea green eyes and a smattering of freckles across his cheeks.

This man's name was David. 

David loved his job. Working with kids and showing them the joys of summer camp was his passion. Recently, they had hired a new counselor, which had ended in disaster.

Honestly, he couldn't help but blame himself. If he hadn't challenged Daniel to a musical battle, the poor guy wouldn't have taken a swig of the bad koolaid.

Oh well! David had other things to focus on, such as his beloved campers. With a cheerful grin he jogged to Gwen's cabin and slammed the door open. "GOOD MORNING GWEN!" He shouted, startling the other counselor awake. "Uuuugh..." Gwen groaned, sitting up and glaring at David tiredly. "Morning David."

Flashing a blinding smile, David turned and headed off to wake the other campers. It was saturday, and David wanted to give the kids a free day, but there were still strict waking and sleeping times. Had to keep some semblance of order after all!

Once all the sleepy campers were up, and Max had stumbled off to get coffee, David grabbed his keys and wallet. "I'm going into town for some supplies!" Gwen gave him a half-hearted thumbs up in return. 

A twinge of guilt struck David as he hopped into his jeep. While what he said hadn't exactly been a lie- they definetly needed some camp supplies replaced- it wasn't the whole truth either.

He was going to pick up some stuff of his own.

The rickety old car stopped outside the camping store and David got out, humming a happy little tune as he grabbed some new rope, a few lanterns, and an extra tent just in case.

Green eyes flicked to the back section of the store and a grin passed over David's face. Wandering over, he grabbed a large hunting knife, axe, and steel cord. His old axe had broken at the handel, old thing just wasn't what it used to be.

And a knife was always a good precaution in the woods, and you never knew when you'd need steel cord! At least, that's what he told Gwen when she asked him about it later that day.

"Alright man, whatever you say. I'll take this shit to the back and you can take your... stuff." The counselor relented, taking the extra supplies off of David's hands.

"Why thank you Gwen! I'll go check on the kids real quick, then I'll put this stuff in my cabin!" Chirped David in reply. Again, Gwen gave him the best thumbs up she could through all the stuff in her arms.

Spinning on his heel, David happily marched over to where all the campers were hanging out in their respective sections. He stopped by each, making sure the campers were all well situated. Aside from a few weary glances, nobody asked about his supplies.

Finally David arrived to where Nikki, Niel, and Max were hanging out, lounging on the grass and enjoying their free day to the fullest. "Hello you three, how are you all doing this swell day?" Max sat up and took off his sunglasses, glaring at a smiling David. "Well I was enjoying my saturday until you came and talked to me."

David didn't let the mean comment get to him, instead responding enthusiastically. "Good to hear you all are relaxing! If you need anything, remember to ask me or Gwen!" As he turned to leave, Nikki piped up.

"What's with the knife and axe and stuff?" She asked, jittering like a phone set to silent. David chuckled to hide his sudden apprehension, but gave the same excuses.

"Nikki that's an excellent question! You see, my old axe broke, and it's always good to have a survival knife incase you get lost in the woods! And the steel cord... you never know when you need steel cords!" Judging by the way Nikki flopped back, Neil ignored him, and Max rolled his eyes, they bought it.

David let out a small sigh of relief, and hastily made his way to his cabin. After stashing all the items, he looked at knife hesitantly, then made his choice and stuck the blade into it's sheath, clipping it onto his belt. Hey, you never know eh?

Meanwhile, someone else was getting busy in the camp store. Rope, knives, crossbow, and a gun. The clerk looked up at the customer incredulously. "Woah man, what kinda game you hunting?" He asked, trying for a weak smile as he stared nervously at the coils and coils of rope.

The customer flashed a charming smile.

"People."


	2. Wrong Number

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh boy...

Max glared accusingly at the coffee maker, waiting for the sputtering machine to churn out the shit he needed to start the day.

David looked worriedly at the boy, but flashed a smile. "Glad to see you awake Max!" He chirped. "Suck a dick David." The angry boy spat back.

"Max! Language!" Chided David, but the left him to his own devices. After all, there were campers to take care of! He decided to let them make ice cream from scratch today, since it was pretty hot.

Max sat at a table with Nikki and Neil, actually kind of enjoying himself for once. If only for the ice cream. Especially since Neil seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Science kid and all that.

"Alright Nikki, now mix this for a minute and- WAIT WAIT NO SLOW DOWN!" Neil desperately tried to stop Nikki from spilling the mixture everywhere, and Max snorted.

The entertainment grew boring, and he looked around the room, eyes falling on David. He looked uncomfortably warm, and pulled off his makeshift scarf for a little to wipe away the sweat.

That's when Max noticed the marks.   
There were bruises peeking out from the collar of David's shirt, and what looked like scratches on his neck. And when Max looked closer, there was dried blood flaking off under his nose that he had apparently not wiped off or noticed.

Then David readjusted the "scarf" and the marks were hidden again. What the hell?

"Hey Nikki, Neil. Did you see that?" He asked, still looking at David curiously. The two stopped what they were doing and looked at him. "What do you mean?" Neil asked. "David had bruises all over his neck and there were scratches on his throat. Can't you see the leftover blood under his nose?" Max sounded a little hysterical, even to himself.

"You think David got in a fight?" Nikki asked excitedly. "Or fucked someone." Neil added. Max cringed at that. "Don't make me imagine it." "Ooh ooh!! I'm gonna ask him!" Nikki said excitedly, and hopped out of her seat.

Before either Neil or Max could stop her, Nikki was marching over to David.   
"Hey David! Did you get into a fight?" She asked excitedly, looking up at him with shining eyes.

Even from across the room, Max could see David lose all color in his face. "W-why would you get that idea N-nikki?" He stuttered, looking weary.   
"Well Max said he saw bruises all over your neck, scratches too! Plus there's still some blood around your nose!"

David yelped and rubbed off the dried blood, looking sheepish. "I didn't get into a fight Nikki. I walked into a net trap and my neck got tangled up. While trying to free myself I must have scratched my neck. The impact made my nose bleed too!"

Nikki let out a sigh of disappointment, turning to leave. Clearly the story convinced her, but Max didn't believe it for a second. "He's definetly lying." Neil said once Nikki got back, voicing Max's thoughts.

"How can you tell?" Asked Nikki, wide-eyed at the prospect.   
"Because David was sweating buckets the whole time! And he was wringing his hands, David never does that!" Max snapped, rolling his eyes.

"But why would he lie?" Neil wondered. "Oooh we should totally find out! We can be like detectives!" Nikki said excitedly. "That's-" Max started disdainfully, but paused. "Not actually a bad idea."

"Yea!! Let's investigate David! It'll be an adventure!" Nikki was once again vibrating excitedly, a huge grin on her face.

This wasn't gonna end well.

The next day, all three kids slipped away from activities, sneaking around after David. But everything seemed totally normal. Until he was standing alone, and his phone chirped out a cheery text tone.

David pulled out his phone, looking at the screen. It was a text from a number he didn't know. At first he thought it was a wrong number, however the text was adressed to him directly. "Dear David... meet me at the pier after all the kids have gone to bed. From your good pal-?" Reading the text aloud, David's face became more and more puzzled. "Who sent this I wonder..?"

Shrugging, the redhead pocketed his phone and pushed off the wall, heading back to where the campers were, leaving Max, Nikki, and Neil to process that information.

"Someone wants to meet David alone!" Neil said worriedly. "What if they're gonna kill David? He doesn't even know who it's from!" "Where were they gonna meet again?" Nikki asked. Max and Neil shrugged. "Fuck! None of us heard him then?" Max cursed.

"No, and he'll see us if we follow him, or hear us." Neil unhelpfully added.   
"How do we even know that he'll take the invite?" Nikki made a fair point, but Max knew better.

"Nikki this is David we're talking about, of course he'll go!"

The three of them thought for a bit, and Neil finally spoke up. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see if David's ok tomorrow morning..." Max didn't like that, but Nikki nodded dejectedly. "Yea I guess..." Max growled but nodded reluctantly. The trio snuck back into the camp activities. However now nervous thoughts plauged their minds, most of all Max.

As much as he claimed to hate the counselor, he didn't want David dead.   
All he could do was hope for the best.   
If he could sneak after David he would, but it would be pitch black and the woods were near impossible to navigate without light, which David would see. And there was the issue of animals at night too.

David practically lived here, he could walk the woods like the back of his hand. But Max? Max had only been here a few weeks, so he was fucking screwed. Same with Nikki and Neil. Nikki had the best chance, but she was not quiet at all.

There was nothing he could do.

Nothing but hope David would be alive and well tomorrow.


	3. The Pier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It Gets Gayer(tm)

David looked at the text for the hundreth time that day, tapping his fingers nervously on the back of his phone. He knew he was going, but not knowing who it was made him nervous.

He tried to send a text asking who it was, but the only reply he got was "your good friend." So he left it as a hopeless cause.

By the time the kids were sent to bed, David was shaking with nerves. So much so that he almost didn't notice the worried glance Max sent his way. But he did.

Why was Max worried? Max didn't care about anything! David scratched his head, but left it. There were so many strange things that Max did, so David chalked it up to that.

To be safe, he waited until even Gwen was asleep before grabbing a lantern. He checked to make sure his new knife was still in place, and headed into the woods.

The flickering light of the shitty lantern made for just enough to allow him to navigate to the pier without hurting himself.

No one was there. David looked about and let out a sigh. "Was probably why Max was looking at me like that, he pranked me..." The redhead mumbled, going to the edge of the pier and sitting down.

Then someone cleared their throat.

David scrambled to his feet and whirled around. There stood a man, stiff and straight as an arrow. In the weak light of the lantern, his too white teeth and unblinking eyes were terrifying. A rope was strapped to the man's side, but David didn't see any weapons from where he was standing.

"Heya Davey! It's me, your old friend!" That voice was horribly familiar, and as the figure stepped forwards and the lantern light washed over him, David gasped softly. "Daniel?"

"Yep! That's me alright! How are ya feelin' Davey? Safe? I'd hope so!" For the first time, David noticed how his neck cracked and jerked to the side abruptly. It was a little scary.

Daniel stepped forwards as David stepped back, looking behind himself to see that one more step would send him into the lake. Nervously he gulped and turned back to Daniel. "I should be asking you that! After you drank the koolaid, I-I was very worried!"

Stalling, David could do that right? But Daniel wasn't having it. He stepped closer again. "Awww. Well I feel fantastic now, thank you David." When he said David's name, he took a large step forwards. Startled by the movement, David stepped back again. Only to feel air under his foot.

With a shout, he fell backwards. A cold hand grabbed his, pulling him up and into a jarringly warm hug. "Hey hey, calm down David! You could have gotten really hurt just then!"

Hearing the concern in Daniel's voice, David relaxed, taking deep shuddering breaths. "R-right, gosh I'm sorry!" He tried to step away, but Daniel held him in place. "Let's back up first yea?" David remembered where he was and nodded sheepishly. Both stepped back enough for David to step away, allowing Daniel to lead him off the pier entirely.

"So Daniel!" David began, shoving his remaning suspicion away. "What brings you back here?"

"Well..." Daniel looked away. "I wanted to apologize for the musical battle, I said some pretty cruel things that I didn't mean."

Before he could continue, David pulled him in for a hug. "Awww! Daniel it's ok, I was the one who distracted you and made you accidentally drink that koolaid! I'm sorry too, so we're even!"

He pulled back and flashed a blinding smile at Daniel, who smiled back. "And, I was wondering if I could make it up to you." Daniel continued, his smile turning into a sly look.

David tilted his head. "What do you mean?" "I mean," Daniel's neck cracked, "that I'd like to take you on a date. To apologize for my behavior. But I didn't want to ask you in front of everyone, you understand."

A blush formed on David's cheeks, and he nodded. "I totally understand. And I'd l-love to go on a date with you!" The words came out just a tad too fast, and Daniel chuckled. "Wonderful, think you can manage tomorrow, for lunch?"

David thought about it, he could just get Gwen to watch all the kids, it'd only be an hour or two right? "Of course!" Daniel's smile widened impossibly, but David didn't notice.

"Perfect, I'll be there to pick you up then, see you around Davey~!" David blushed more, and took that as his cue to go. "Bye Daniel, have a swell night!" As David left, a spring in his step, he didn't notice the twitch in Daniel's eye, or the way his neck twisted too far to the side, or the evil, wobbly grin that had stretched his cheeks.

No, David whistled happily, not even worried about the fact that he had forgotten his lantern. To him, everything was absolutely fine.

But of course, nothing was fine.

It never was with this place.


	4. Romance is Easy

The next morning, nothing had changed.

David woke everyone up with a joyful shout, and Max cussed him out until he left. Though secretly he was relieved.

Camp activites went as usual, with David supervising and usually getting the short end of the stick when it came to the children's mischeif.

Max was his usual grouchy self, and simply assumed that someone had been pranking David, or he just didn't go at all. That is, until David got another text.

As soon as the text tone chirped, David jumped, making a strangled noise in his throat. He grabbed it out of his pocket, staring at the screen hungrily.

Whatever he saw, it made him happy, and a stupid smile spread across his face. Max noticed all the campers curious and yearning looks towards the phone, the looks David didn't seem to acknowledge.

"Ooh who ya textin who ya textin? Tell me!" Nikki blurted out, tugging on David's shirt insistently. However David shook his head, hastily shoving his phone deep into his front pocket. "Sorry Nikki, last time I let you kids see my phone it ended in my almost getting arrested, I don't want a repeat of that."

For a moment, he glared at all the campers, who didn't seem the least bit sorry. But David's gaze was... off. Max saw a cold look in his eyes, all the usual light was simply gone from them.

Then just as suddenly he snapped back, as if nothing had happened. "Anyway! We're going on a hike in half an hour, so get packing!" All the campers groaned, which didn't deterr the ever happy counselor.

Max sauntered off, followed by Nikki and Neil. "Since when does David carry a knife?" Neil asked, seemingly to nobody. "No idea." Was Max's bored reply. "Oooh! Maybe he's gonna use it to murder someone!" Nikki said, half crouching and curling her fingers in a mock "evil" pose.

The three had a sarcastic laugh about that. David attacking someone with a knife was a laughable notion. "The dude would get his ass handed to him!" Max snorted. "Yea, you see how skinny he is? The other guy could probably just pick him up and throw him!" Joked Neil, making Nikki and Max let out short, barking laughs.

With their moods considerably lighter, the three packed their bags and got ready for what was sure to be a boring hike through the woods, filled with bugs and questionable morals.

David chattered away as he lead the children, pointing to things and explaining what they were. It was mildy interesting, but most kids where just waiting for when they got to sit down and eat the sandwiches David had made for them. A rare luxury in the middle of nowhere.

They stopped just in front of the clearing where they'd be eating, according to David. "We're here kids! You see those giant rocks? They've been here longer than even the town or camp! Nobody knows how they got there or what they mean, but please be careful. They're a historic landmark after all!"

Max sent David a death glare. "Don't care. Can we eat now?" David faltered for just a second, then nodded. "Why of course, just be careful not to fall! It's a rough way down!" Chuckling, David stepped out of the way for the campers to find spots on the grass to eat.

He sat down and pulled out his own food, making sure there was a good vantage point to keep an eye on everyone. Nothing happened, and soon enough everyone was being herded back to the trail.

Max lingered for just a bit longer, turning to look at the rocks. A scream bubbled in his throat as he saw something peeking out from behind the rocks, clearly holding a knife.

"What the fuck!" He snapped, turning and hurrying after the campers. When he looked back, there was no evidence anyone had ever been there except for a set of footprints in the soft earth. 

The figure did not leave Max's mind the whole way back. Who was that? Was it just some random weirdo in the woods, or was he in danger? Cursing himself for not getting a good look at the figure's appearance, Max tried to push the thought from his mind.

All the kids arrived back safe and sound, thankfully. David dumped his backpack on the desk. "Heya Gwen! Could ya do me a solid and take care of the campers for the rest of the day? They're probably tired out from the hike, so it won't be too hard!"

Gwen looked up from her magazine incredulously. "Okayyyy, why?" "Well..." began the redhead, "I have a date!" Forcing the words out had been hard, and he sounded nervous. A loud screech filled the room as Gwen scooted her chair back and stood up. "Wait really? Holy shit David go!" She shoved him out of the door and towards the exit of the camp.

"I'm so glad you're getting back into dating after the whole Bonquisha thing." Gwen admitted, a genuine smile on her tired face. David winced. "Yea, me too." "Well, have fun!" Gwen said, walking back to the campers and leaving David alone.

He checked his watch again and again, counting the seconds in his head. Like clockwork, as soon as it was 12:00 pm, Daniel's car pulled up. It was a fairly nice, light grey car.

Elegantly, he stepped out, flashing David a radiant smile. Suddenly, He felt self-concious. He should have showered or something! Oh god, what if Daniel thought he looked scruffy, or smelled? Oh no-!

"You look lovely as always David, shall we?" As if reading his mind, Daniel dispelled all of David's worries instantly. He nodded weakly.

Like a true gentleman, Daniel held open the passenger side door for David. Carefully, David got inside. Everything inside was also white. What was this guys deal with white? He couldn't help but wonder.

Deciding it would be rude to ask, David simply kept his mouth shut and looked out the window, letting a lazy smile pass across his face.

Daniel was using all his will power not to start giggling like some sort of supervillain. This was too easy! David was already so relaxed around him. Who even lets their guard down that fast?

His eye twitched, and he reflexively cracked his head sharply, noting that the redhead flinched at the noise. Good, he liked that.

"We're here~!" Daniel purred, stepping out and opening the door for David. "T-thank you!" He stuttered, finding it impossible to meet the blonde's eyes.

They were at the lovely little diner in town. Oh how he loved this place! Counselor duties prevented him from visiting often, but it was the best food in this shithole of a town.

An undignified yelp escaped his lips as Daniel wrapped his arm around David's waist, leading him inside with an easy confidence that was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

There was almost nobody there (shocker) so the two were seated almost instantly. David opened the menu, pretending to browse.

In reality he was just trying to avoid the piercing stare that he felt so clearly trained on him. It took a bit, but David managed to pluck up enough courage to look up, meeting cold blue eyes.

"Decided on your meal yet?" Daniel asked causally and dammit! How could he be so relaxed right now? "Y-yea, I'm having the p-pork?" It came out more like a question.

"Excellent choice, does that mean you'll put the menu down too? I'd like to see your face." The teasing made David's face heat up, but he nodded and put it down hestitantly.

After the initial awkward few minutes, Daniel found David opening up to him. The two had such easy conversation, it was incredible! Who knew they had so much in common?

"It's like we agree on everything!" David said, a childish grin on his freckled face. "Yes I quite agree~!" Daniel lilted back, allowing himself a small chuckle. They didn't have everything in common... no, the murder was all Daniel's.

The rest of the date went perfectly, and by the end the blonde knew, David was wrapped around his finger.   
The drive back was filled with idle chatter and soft music. Something both men found to be incredibly soothing.

By the time they got back to camp, David was so focused on the other that he didn't notice anything else. "W-wow, this was alot of fun Daniel!"

Daniel's smile was too pretty to be legal. "It really was, we should do it again sometime." He paused, looking satisfied when David nodded enthusiastically.

"Until then, David." In a daring move, he placed a sweet kiss on the red head's lips, leaving him as fiery as his hair, and swooning.

Not waiting for David to process what had happened, Daniel slipped into his car and drove off, finally allowing himself to giggle, and then let out a full blown howl of laughter.

This was gonna be incredible.

The counselor watched him go, fingers coming up to touch his lips in disbelief. He had just been... kissed. David's heart soared and a huge smile crossed his face. This was great! Better than great, it was wonderful!

David covered his face with his hands and made a strangled noise from the back of his throat. It took him a minute to calm down, but he managed to pull himself together enough to head back to the kids.

The two of them must have been gone longer than expected, because most of the kids were finishing up activities and getting ready to call it quits and just chill out for the day.

Gwen looked up and smiled tiredly. "Oh David! You're back!" "Yea and what's with the goofy smile, you look like a fucking moron." Max interjected, looking like his irritated self.

Nothing, not even Max, could dim his attitude however, and David responded easily, "I went on a date!" A laugh almost escaped him as Max's jaw dropped and all the campers looked at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Neil asked, while Nikki launched herself at David and clung to his shirt. "What happened?!" She all but screamed, causing him to flinch.

"We just went out to lunch is all! And um..." Suddenly sheepish, David scratched at the back of his neck. "AND?!" Nikki shook him until he relented. "And he kissed me! That's all!" Prying Nikki off, he set her down on the ground.

"Wait he?" Max asked, looking at David incredulously. "I thought you were straight, you know after the whole Bonquisha thing." David answered with a shrug. "I'm open to anything, and he's a swell guy!"

To avoid anymore questions, he turned and headed for his cabin as quickly as possible, feeling everyone's stares on his back as he went.

The rest of the day was boring to say the least, kept interesting only by the fact that Gwen kept asking him questions that he answered as vaugely as possible.

Why? Why did he want to keep Daniel a secret from everyone? It was impossible to explain, but for some reason he felt as if he had to.

Besides,

What harm could it do?


	5. Little Black Sheep

Turns out, keeping Daniel a secret wasn't as easy as David would have liked to believe. Almost religiously he'd have to check his pockets to make sure his phone was there, and always keept in in his front pockets, so it'd be harder to steal.

Whenever he got a text he had to make sure no one was around to see him read it. Not to mention that if Daniel wanted to pick him up for another date, David would have to stand far enough outside of camp that none of the kids would see.

He had a feeling they wouldn't be all too happy to see Daniel, for reasons David wasn't sure of. The kids had kept going on and on about him being a cultist, but that simply couldn't be true! He was such a nice guy, there was no way he'd put kids in danger!

Right?

David didn't dwell on his doubts too long, there was no time for that! One last time he double checked his phone. The contact name read "friend :)", and there were no new messages. With a sigh he put the device away and headed back into camp activities, that surely would help him blow off some steam!

Despite the campers being frustrating as ever, David found himself feeling refreshed. He honestly loved working with the kids, and atheletic acitivity made him too tired to worry.

All in all, going to bed that night was pleasant, with no thoughts plauging his mind all night.

Max couldn't sleep. A groan filled the small tent and he got up, walking out into the cold night air.

What was up with David lately? The guy was constantly twitching, and checked his phone every chance he got. Plus he kept disappearing on "dates" only to come back jittering and over excited.

It was weird. Leaves crunched under his feet as he headed into the woods, still thinking about David. And those bruises... in past days they'd been getting worse. He got another glimpse after Nikki stole his scarf on a dare.

They were not normal bruises, they looked like someone had violently attacked him. The scratches ran erratically down to his collar bones, and large purple marks populated his usually clear skin.

Max had tried to question him, of course, but David always clammed up or changed the subject fast.

Why?

Being so deep in thought, his feet had taken him deep into the woods. When Max looked up, he found himself back at the rocks from the hike. Then he noticed something that made his blood run cold.

There was someone leaning against the rocks, holding their head and giggling quietly.   
The giggles slowly died away and an eerie, sing-song voice replaced them.

"My my, is that a black sheep I see?"

Max froze.

The figure turned to him and gave a cruel grin, teeth shining in the moonlight.

Crack.   
Crack.   
Crrrrack.

With each step, the figure's body cracked and snapped. It was so... twitchy. Excitable.   
Max started to step back, stifling a scream as the figure held up a knife, huge and dangerously sharp.

It took a second for Max to process this, and then he was running. Where to he didn't know, but away sounded good. Footsteps fell heavy on the forest floor, and the figure was gaining.

Max could feel the figure's breath on his neck and couldn't help but let out a short "FUCK!". Then, just as suddenly, the figure was gone. And Max stumbled into the camp alone.

Breathing heavy and terrified, a sweaty Max stumbled into his tent and grabbed his teddy bear, holding it close to his chest as tears pricked in his eyes.

The next morning, Max was quiet, subdued. Any attempts from Neil or Nikki wouldn't get his attention. He went through the motions of the day, but his eyes were glassy and hollow.

Now Max prided himself in not being easily shaken, but this had been different. He had been in real, mortal danger. Alone. Suddenly he noticed that he was shaking violently, hugging himself so tight his arms and ribs hurt.

Neil gave him a worried look, and Nikki bordered the line of panicked. "Are you alright?" He finally asked. Max gave him a withering glare. "No."

"Hey Max, I need you to come with me, alone." All three looked up at David, who wore an expression of worry. His eyes were steely, and Max for once simply complied, sending a weak thumbs up to his friends.

David lead him around back of the mess hall building. "Max, you've been awful quiet today. And you're shaking like a leaf! I know that look, it's the look of a kid who's seen something horrible. What happened Max?"

And he hated it, hated how genuine David was. Hated the kindness in his voice, hated how his eyes filled with tears and how he fell into David's arms with a loud sob.

Slowly David slid down the wall, allowing Max to curl up against his chest and just cry. It took a minute, but Max composed himself enough to talk to David.   
"Last night, I-I couldn't sleep so I left my tent. I was distracted so I headed into the woods. However long I walked, I ended up back at the rocks we found on the hike. But when I looked, someone was there." Max paused to let a shiver run through his body. "They said something about a black sheep and then started to c-come towards me. I panicked and fucking ran for my l-life! They almost had me but they just-" Max made a vauge movement with his hands. "Disappeared. Like they'd never been there."

Looking up, Max saw the rage in David's gaze. Wow, ok, that was new. Max put his hand against David's chest, and felt how his heart was beating like a hummingbird's wings. "You weren't hurt at all though right?" Asked David, with a tone of voice that was clearly concealed fury.

"Y-yea, somehow I'm fine." Max yelped as David yanked him into a tight embrace, a little tear slipping out of the redhead's eye and down his cheek. "I'm just glad you're ok. And that you told me. I'll make sure that whoever is lurking in the woods is found and taken care of. I won't let him hurt any of you."

One look at David's face was all it took for Max to believe him. "T-thanks David..." he mumbled, feeling a bit more like his old self. "This doesn't mean I like you or anything! You were just warm is all." The ten year old grumpily insisted. David laughed. "Of course Max. And why don't you take the day off? After everything you went through, you deserve at least that."

Brushing himself off, David stood up and pulled Max to his feet. The ravenette nodded, a weak smile playing on his face. With a wave, he was off, and David watched him go. His fists clenched so tightly that he felt blood in his palms.

Whoever did this was going to pay, David would make sure of that.

But how?

Ah, of course.

You never know when you'll need steel cord, right?


	6. He'll do Anything

The next day, Max was feeling better. Still a little shaken up, but the thought of that creep behind bars eased his worries considerably.

"Hey man, feeling better today?" Neil asked him. Picking at the slop they called "food". "Yea, David gave me a shitty pep talk and let me skip out, it was sweet." Playing it off like it was no big deal, Max took a hesitant bite before shoving the food towards Nikki.

She dug in with gusto, then spoke to Max with her mouth full. "So what happened anyway?" The ten year old flinched at the question. "Well Nikki I-" "Campers! Could I have your attention please?"

Thankful for the interruption, Max looked up to see David, looking somber. "It's been brought to my attention that there may be a potentially dangerous person in the woods. As of now, you're all in danger. So we'll not be going into the woods until he's been caught. All activities will be in camp, and none of your are to leave your tents after dark. Is that clear?"

The speech had shaken the kids. They were in danger? Numbly, they all nodded and made noises of agreement. "Good. I'll be patrolling the camp tonight, as an extra precaution. I hope that we can get this taken care of by the end of the week. Gwen will be supervising you today, I'm going into town to talk to local authorities, see if they can help search tomorrow."

With that, David left them to their own devices.

"He's gonna be patrolling the woods?!" Neil asked, shocked. "What if the guy's actually there? He doesn't stand a chance!" "Better him than us." Max sneered, but if his pale face was anything to go by, he was very concerned.

Nikki shrugged. "I mean, he'll probably be fine! It's not like the dude will come really close to camp or anything right? That's pretty risky."   
"Yea, he sticks to the deeper woods. You have a point Nikki." Nikki and Neil stared.

"Max?" "What?" "How do you know where he is?" Neil was hesitant in asking, holding up a limp hand. "Oh. Well maybe because he almost killed me?" Sarcasm dripped from Max's voice, but faded when he saw how scared his friends looked.

Great, now he had to explain to them.

With a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, David glared at the road ahead. How dare anyone threaten his campers? He was going to make them pay.

Parking the car, David got out and started to head off into the police station, but stopped dead when he saw who was sitting there, in handcuffs.

"Daniel?"

The blond's head snapped up and he put a smile on his face, but hair clung to his forhead and he was paler than usual. "Hey darling, how are you?"

The officer stepped into the room, looking over some papers. "Dani- David?" David looked over at the officer, bewildered. "Sal, why is Daniel in handcuffs?"

Gritting his teeth, Sal responded. "You know this guy? I have him here under charges of physical assault." David shook his head. "That can't be right, Daniel's the sweetest guy I know! He worked as a counselor for us! Techinically still does." Sal paled, putting the clipboard on his desk so fast you'd think it had burned him.

"He's one of yours? Then take him, not my problem. I don't wanna get mixed up in Campbell's business." Hastily, Sal unlocked the cuffs and shoved Daniel towards David. "Sal wait! I actually wanted to ask you-" Before he could finish his thought, Sal had thrown them both out and slammed the door.

"So, fancy meeting you here." Daniel joked, albeit weakly. "Why were you at the police station?" He asked David. "Well I thought they could help me catch the guy who almost hurt one of my campers but..." He shrugged. "That's not happening I guess."

Daniel's eyes widened. "Someone attacked a camper?" For a moment, even he felt a jolt of worry. "Unfortunately. The camper got away and he's alright, but I don't want this guy near my kids. I'm going to try and find him tonight, but I'm worried Daniel."

"Oh David... hey! How about this, when all the kids are asleep I could come to camp and keep watch with you. That way Gwen can get some rest." Seeing how David's face lit up, Daniel had said the right thing. "Really? Thank you so much Daniel! But are you sure? You look really exhausted."

The blond brushed his hair back, spiking it up again. "I'll be fine. I just need something to eat and drink and I'll be good as new!" David tapped his lip in thought, then grinned. "Why don't you and I go grab something to eat then? It'll be nice to hang out again as well!"

Daniel nodded his approval, and followed David down the streets of town. There weren't many places to eat, but aside from the diner there was a lovely little cafe with decent pastries.

As soon as Daniel took a bite of the tart, he made a noise of deep satisfaction. His perfectly composed demeanor broke as he practically inhaled the treat. David watched him with amusement. "Good?" Daniel nodded enthusiastically, swallowing the last of it and cleaning off his hands with a napkin.

Suddenly, he snapped back to attention. His back straightened, and his usual easy confidence came right back. The way he could switch between attitudes so quickly... it was eerie to say the least.

The two chatted for a while, but David had to return to the campers eventually. "Will you be alright Daniel?" He asked again, to which the cultist patiently nodded. "I've got it all under control, just take care of your campers." It came out like a purr, sending shivers racing down David's spine.

The two were back at David's jeep, and Daniel waved him goodbye. Before he left, the blond gently put two fingers under David's chin, pulling him in for a sweet kiss that left his head spinning. Then, as if nothing had happened, Daniel walked away.

With stars in his eyes and high hopes, David drove back to camp.

He was ready to do whatever it took to keep his kids, and by extent Daniel, safe.

Absolutely anything.


	7. Chapter 7

During the rest of that day, David and Gwen kept an especially close eye on all campers. Apparently they needed to because space kid didn't wander out of camp once. No, he wandered out three times. Causing panic each time.

By the time that the campers had to sleep, Gwen looked ready to fall over and David imagined he probably looked the same. Nevertheless he couldn't sleep yet. After telling Gwen to get some rest he went into his own cabin, clipping the steel cord to his belt and putting the axe casually on one shoulder.

When everything was in place, David headed to the edge of camp where he found Daniel already waiting. With a grateful smile he lead his counterpart into the camp. "I just need you to patrol the parameters of camp, and I'll do the same. If anything happens just holler and I'll head over. And... be careful ok?"

To David the advice was redudant. He was gonna find that creep before he even got close to Daniel, but it would seem suspicious if he didn't warn him at all. Once the other was on his way, he drew in a deep breath and walked into the woods.

To the rocks it was.

Unlike Max, it took him very little time to find the place, even in the dark. The limited visibility was a minor set back, he didn't want his attacker to be able to see well either.

Innocently the moon shone upon the rocks, a weak light source from a clear sky. In any other context it would be a lovely night, but that was the least of David's worries.

Sure enough, there was a figure sitting against one of the rocks, lounging around as if he owned the place. David took a cautious step forwards, flinching as leaves and a beetle crunched beneath his foot.

The figure's head snapped up and their eyes met. "Ooh now who's this? Is it the sheepdog~?" Gritting his teeth, David stepped towards the figure. "You tried to kill one of my campers." He snarled, starting to tremble with anger already.

"But I didn't did I? Besides, what can a mangy dog like you do?" The stranger stood up, cracking his neck in a way that reminded him too much of Daniel. As the figure stepped closer, David saw that "he" was not a man at all.

It was a girl. Who looked an awful lot like Gwen. But she had blue eyes that seemed to glow and nearly white hair. "Wait, Jen?" He had barely met her, but he remembered her creepy magazines and uncomfortable smile.

"The one and only, how are you Daniel?" She thought he was Daniel? Well, it was nearly impossible to see his hair and eye color from the darkness of where he was standing. Maybe he could use that to his advantage.

"I'm fine, thank you Jen. I thought you were the other one for a second." He lied, hoping that would also justify why he'd sounded so angry about his campers earlier. Thankfully Jen bought it.

"We do look quite alike, don't we?" Her neck snapped and she giggled, looking straight ahead as if nothing had happened. "Yes you do. But my my, what are you doing here~?" Daniel's tone was nearly impossible to mimic, but it got the job done.

"I'm here to avenge you of course. That filthy red counselor distracted you, made you sick. You could have died. I feel it's only fair to kill the campers and pay him in kind, don't you agree?"

David felt his blood run cold, forcing himself to stand still as Jen stepped closer and closer. "What an ambitious plan, what makes you think it'll work?" Jen threw back her head and laughed. "Easy! I just have to snag the black sheep! That fool would break his own neck to save the little brat. I just have to wait, unless you can help me get him?"

There! That was his chance. "In fact I can, everyone's asleep now, and David trusts me, I could sneak you in and snag the child. I know where he is." Speaking about Max like that made David feel sick, but Jen eagerly stepped towards him.

"Oh please do! Lead the wa-" The clearing was silent. Jen stared. "Y-you're not Daniel." She finally managed. "Nope. Hope you don't mind some dirt on your clothes!" David swung. The flat of the axe connected with Jen's head. Screaming in pain, she dropped the knife in her hand. Harshly he brought down the handel on the back of her skull.

The doppelgänger crumpled, and David dropped his axe. He had to move fast. With the ease of a practiced woodsman, he unclipped the steel cord from his belt and tied Jen up tightly, binding her body, wrists, and ankles. Easily, he hefted the unconcious body onto one shoulder and the axe onto the other. He turned to go, walking down the hill and away from camp.

It took a while, but David finally arrived at the empty cave. Unceremoniously he dropped the unconscious woman onto the stone floor. She started awake, looking around blearily before gaze focused on David and her eyes widened.

"What? Where the fuck am I?!" She snarled, struggling violently against the binds. David smiled at her. "I wouldn't struggle, that cord'll cut pretty painfully if you do." Jen relaxed, but her gaze was withering.

"So what now? You gonna keep me here till the cops come, get me arrested?" Her laugh was like a bark, short and loud. "I'll escape and come back for your precious campers. I've done it before, you can't stop me, fucker!"

The redhead shook his head slowly, tutting as if to a silly child. "Oh no Jen, I'm not reporting you to anyone." He picked up his axe, letting the blade screech. "No one will even know it was you."

Her eyes widened, and she shimmied back. "If you kill me, Daniel will be furious! He'll kill all the children you hold dear. He'll make you fell them all! You'll lose everything!" Jen sounded fierce but she was shaking, and her hair was a mess from sweat.

"I doubt that. You can't stall your way out of this one. You tried to hurt my campers, and I'd do anything to keep them safe. You won't gain my sympathy now." With cold eyes, he brought the axe above his head. Jen panicked and used her bound legs to kick, sending David onto the floor with a loud crack.

His nose ached something awful, and he knew the ache on his face meant a black eye. Angrily he grabbed the axe and slashed her legs. A haunting wail escaped her, but before she could do anything else, David brought the axe down again. With a last scream, Jen went limp. Her head was barely attached to her neck anymore, previously bright eyes gone glassy. David looked at his bloody axe and felt blood trickle down his nose.

Oh boy, how was he going to explain that? The counselor sighed and wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand.

"What the fuck."

David whirled around and saw someone standing at the entrance to the cave, staring him dead in the face.

It was Daniel, of course it was.

"D-daniel I can explai-" "Is that Jen?" David flinched at the blunt question. "Yes." "And did you kill her?" Should he answer? Well, it was much too late to lie to Daniel now. So with an icy hand clutching his heart, he nodded.

He had fucked everything up. Daniel would hate him now, he'd probably be arrested to! The thought of Max's face as he found out that David was a murderer was too much for the redhead to bear.

But Daniel smiled. "Wow..." he laughed breathily. "I never thought you'd be the killing type, David." Silently he came up to the other male. "Your nose is bleeding, we might want to take care of that." Gently, almost tenderly, Daniel used his thumb to wipe away the blood.

David looked at him in shock. "Y-you're not going to report me? You don't hate me?" Daniel laughed in a way that made David's stomach do flips. "Of course not darling, that'd be pretty hypocritical. Seeing as I'm the same."

Wait.

Daniel was a killer? "I know that look, yes I am. And so was Jen. We worked together for a while but... she was much too brash for my taste. Tell me, why'd you do it?" A deep sigh left David, and he seemed to deflate. "She was the one trying to kill the kids. She told me it was revenge for me causing you to accidentally drink the punch."

The cultist shook his head disapprovingly. "Yea, she would do that. Anyway, that means we have to get rid of her yea? I can help you get the blood out of your clothes too." A rush of appreciation and joy filled David.

Daniel didn't hate him! He didn't think that he was a monster. A huge smile formed on David's face to the point where it ached, and he picked up Jen's body easily. Her half decapitated head rolled on her neck, dripping blood onto David's shirt.

How annoying.

Silently he lead the way, going down to the far end of the lake. He threw the body in and watched it sink, feeling satisfied.

Daniel watched him, thoughts racing through his mind. David was a murderer, and clearly had no qualms about gore or death. He'd do anything for his campers. And if how easily David carried Jen's body was anything to go by, he could easily overpower Daniel.

That was kinda... hot? He shook his head. That was not the point right now. But a feeling swelled in his chest anyway. Pride. He was... proud of David?

Yea, he was totally proud of this goofy counselor. Of being just like Daniel. And indeed, as he pulled off Davids scarf and shirt, there was a small hint of fear.

David watched, mesmerized, as Daniel cleaned the blood out of his clothes. The blond kept a spray bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide on him at all times, and apparently the stuff dissolved blood. Who knew?

"I'm going to head back to the cave and grab your axe, alright? Just clean yourself of all that blood." Instructed Daniel, already gone before David could reply.

With a sigh he started to wash his arms, watching the clear water turn dark. The slick feeling of blood on his arms was wonderful, but he hated when it dried. Too flaky.

Little did he know that a terrified boy was hiding in a tree, using all his willpower not to break down crying.

Max should not have come.

He heard the scream, and assumed it was David. In a blind panic he had thrown on his hoodie and had started to run. He heard loud footsteps thumping slowly somewhere behind him, and climbed a tree out of instinctive fear. When he finally got the courage to look down, he saw David by the river, washing his arms.

Even in the moonlight it was clear that he was covered in blood. It had soaked through his clothes and onto his chest, coated his arms, and was splattered across his face.

As Max watched, horrified and transfixed, he noticed David was shaking. Was he- crying? It was hard to tell, he couldn't see the man's face. But he was making some sort of noise, and shivering violently.

Max wanted to check if he was ok, but fear kept him rooted to the spot. Someone came up behind David, and the blade of a bloodied axe glinted threateningly.

A scream bubbled up in Max's throat, and for the second time that week he wanted to run away as fast as he could.

"David, are you alright?" The counselor looked up at the figure, nodding his head. His smile didn't falter as he took the axe and cleaned it. And not as he stood up and pulled the man into a somewhat wet embrace.

"Thank you, for not hating me." He sounded so.. vunerable. Max felt sick. Who was this guy? He couldn't see them at all, shadow shrouded the man that hugged David back. "I never could darling, you're my favorite counselor after all."

Max broke.

With one jump, he was on the ground and scrambling away. Not bothering to check behind him as he ran for his life. When he reached his tent, he collapsed onto its floor and held his teddy bear close.

This time, the tears flowed freely. 

(Tadaaaaaa!!! Finally y'all know what's up with David's cord! Betcha thought the figure was Daniel eh? Or maybe even david? WELL YOU WERE WRONG!


	8. Paranoia

Fear.

Fear was not a new emotion to Max, but this was a whole other level. He'd been jumpy all day, and even the slightest thing would freak him out to the point where everyone worried about him. Even Nerf laid off, which was a rarity in itself.

"Listen Max, I've been polite and tried not to push you but... you've been super jumpy all day. Did something happen again? Did the creepy figure visit?" Neil had finally asked, gently placing a hand on Max's sleeve. Even with the sun beating down on them, Max didn't take off his hoodie. The ravenette waved him away. "I'm fine man, just a bad dream."

Nikki stopped eating for a second "Are you sure? Because you're never this panick-" "I'm fuckin FINE NIKKI!" He spat, eyes widening at his own anger.

"Max!" Ice ran down his back as he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Watch the language, they're just looking out for you!" David looked irritated, and a bit disappointed. "R-right sorry D-david!" He stuttered, trying to move away hastily. Feet moved uselessly against the dirt, as David's strong hold kept him rooted.

The counselor softened, forhead wrinking with concern. "It's alright Max, just watch it for the future. And take it easy, you look like you've seen a ghost!" David laughed softly, oblivious to how Max flinched at the noise. With that, he walked off to check on other campers.

"Alright man, what the fuck was that? You apologized to David! And you look terrified as hell. What happened?" Neil asked, sternly this time. Nikki nodded in agreement. "Yea, it was weird!" Max sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I... I saw something awful last night and I keep hoping it's a dream but David's black eye says otherwise."

"Yea what's up with that? He told us that he fell or something." Nikki added, dragging the boys to a log and sitting down. "So tell us Max, what's up?" The ten year old sighed heavily.

"I saw David in the woods, last night. I heard screaming and thought it was him so I ran in. Somehow I ended up at the far end of the lake, but I heard something and climbed into a tree. And guess fucking what? There was David! By the river!" In the pause he took to take a deep breath, Neil interrupted. "You heard a noise? And a scream?" Max nodded. "Footsteps. Anyway, David was at the river washing his arms. His clothes were wet and laying all folded up to the side. He had his pants on though, thankfully." He laughed mirthfully.

"So I as I keep watching, I see that he's covered in blood! The shit's coating his arms and all over his chest, back, and face! I think he was crying too? T-then I saw some dude come up behind David with this- this bloody axe! But David's not even fucking fazed! He just washes off the axe and hugs this freak! Guys I think-" Max choked up for a second, fighting back tears. "I think either David or that man killed someone."

David hummed a random tune as he walked around the camp, turning to see Gwen having trouble with space kid, as per usual. As he made his way over, David's phone buzzed. Hastily he pulled it out, hunching over to read the text.

'You doing okay? Any kids suspect?' David's eyes darted over the text before he typed a quick reply. 'Everything's fine, kids think I fell onto my face but nothing else happened. Thanks.'

Barely ten seconds later came the reply. 'Good. Take care of yourself. Hope to see you soon darling❤️'

David's chest swelled and he grinned, sending back an affirmative reply before pocketing his phone.

Today was gonna be great!

Neil stared at Max incredulously. "Killed someone? Are you sure?" "Yea! David isn't strong enough for that, or tough!" Nikki added, but there was an edge to her voice. "I know what I saw." Insisted Max, albeit shakily. "He was covered in blood. And the lake was full of it. Too much to just be from him."

Neil tapped his chin, thinking, but Nikki beat him to punch. "Well, what if we sneak out and check?" Max's jaw fell open. "Check? What if there really is a body? And David finds out? He'll fucking kill us!" That statement was a bit too literal for all three campers.

But Nikki insisted. "He won't! He cares too much! And it'll help you! Because I'm sure he didn't kill anyone, and seeing that there's no body will get rid of that paranoia!" Neil looked like he was going to say something, but thought better of it. Instead he just nodded.

Max wanted to say no but... what did he have to lose? Worst case scenario David is a murderous counselor and Max was right. They'd report him, he'd get arrested, it'd be fine! So why did Max feel so afraid? Like some part of him... didn't want David to be evil. He loved the redhead, almost like a father. He didn't want to believe that such a man was capable of something like that.

Steeling himself for the worst, Max looked up at Nikki, waiting expectantly for his answer.

"I'll do it."

The three waited until it was time to sleep. Once again everyone was told they were not allowed to leave their tents since the dangerous man hadn't been caught yet. According to David anyway.

But Max didn't think he could believe anything David said anymore. After roughly half an hour, the coast was clear and they snuck out of their tent. Nikki shone her flashlight into the forest and Max lead the three of them as best as he could.

Eventually they reached where Max had spotted David. Max found himself shaking, just like after he was attacked. Wracked with anxiety and fear, he was understandably hesitant to approach the water. Neil was nervous anyway, as he always was, but Nikki didn't seem to care at all.

"Don't be so scared, come on!" Easily she dragged both boys with one hand, flashlight in the other, to the edge of the lake. The light didn't illuminate the bottom at all. There was no way to tell what was down there. Being where they were, the lake was only seven feet deep at that point.

So obviously Nikki did the only rational thing and stuck her arm into the water, hoping that the flashlight was waterproof. Neil and Max couldn't contain their curiosity and craned their necks to see.

All three had to stifle their cries.

The light still didn't shine strong, but it showed enough that they could tell there was someone down there, and their head was rolling off of their neck.

Neil gagged before throwing up onto the grass violently, and Nikki scrambled away. Max just stood there, numb. Cotton had filled his ears and his vision was flickering.

There was a body in the lake.

There was a fucking body in the fucking lake.

As if on cue, the three campers stumbled away as fast as possible, all running into Max's tent and huddling in a corner.

"There was a body oh my god there was a body!" Neil whimpered, wiping bile from his mouth. Nikki shook her head violently. "I wanna go home..." Max just sat there in silence, hugging his knees.

They stayed like that for a while, eventually falling asleep. But each was plauged with nightmares.

By the time the campers were awoken, the trio was already wide awake and terrified.

"Good morning-!" "AAAAAHHH!" They all screamed and looked up at David in horror. Surprised, David yelped. "Ah! What? Why are you three in the same tent?" Neil covered his head with his arms, and Nikki felt tears well up in her eyes. Max just got up, blankly staring up at David.

"I dunno David? Why's there a fucking body in the lake?" Too late, it was much too late for Max to be scared anymore. He skipped straight over that point and into apathy.

David paled, staring at Max with panic in his eyes. "Wha- how did you- when-?" Max glared at David. "We left our tents last night and went to the lake. Nikki shone the flashlight in the water and we saw it." As David continued to sputter, Max stepped forwards again.

"David." The counselor shut his mouth. "I just need one answer." 

"Are you a fucking murderer or not?"


	9. A Look Into Three Minds

David's mouth hung wide open as he stared at Max. Nikki grabbed his sleeve and pulled Max back, looking frightened. "Why would you say that Max?!" She whisper-yelled, glancing up at David's stunned face wearily.

The counselor pulled himself together and shook his head. "There's a body in the lake?" He asked, looking bewildered. Max narrowed his eyes. "Don't play dumb, what role did you have in this?" David shook his head again. "No no, I really didn't know." He seemed so honest... it hurt Max in a way he couldn't describe.

"Then why were you washing blood off of your arms two nights ago?" The redhead looked at Max worriedly. "That blood was mine! And besides, most of it was mud. Now I have to ask you, why were you out of bed?"

Max felt himself relaxing, looking into David's eyes. "I heard a scream..." he mumbled weakly. "That... was me. I told you all I fell right? Truth is I fell down the hill where the rocks were, and got pretty banged up. So I went to the river to wash up. I didn't know there was a body, really."

Slowly, Max stepped towards David. Nikki and Neil managed to stand up and get behind their friend, albeit shakily. "Then who were you talking to?" This took David aback for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "He's the guy I've been going out with... when I fell down the hill I dropped my axe and it landed in the mud. Thanks to him I got it back, and got all the blood out of my clothes."

Relief washed over Max. David wasn't a murderer! He was the same happy-go-lucky counselor he so despised. A grin stretched Max's face almost painfully, and he hugged David's legs. "Oh thank god! You're not gonna kill us all! You're still just an annoying dick!" David grimaced, unsure of how to react. He just decided to pat Max's head affectionately.

"Alright kiddos, now that we have that sorted out, it's time to get to the mess hall! I'll investigate what you've told me, and see what I can find. Don't you worry campers! Everything is just fine!" With that, the tired and irritated trio was sent off, and David walked to the edge of the woods, leaning heavily against a tree.

It hurt him to lie to the kids like this, but David knew that they couldn't find out. Especially not Max. He didn't want the poor kid to be traumatized by something like that.

It wasn't like he killed people all the time though. Mostly David just stuck to things like bears and wolves. It kept the urges satisfied and didn't put people in danger. But sometimes an opportunity would prevent itself, and he just couldn't help but let loose once in a while.

Now David knew it was wrong. Killing people, or anything, without reason wasn't ok. Nontheless he had to. If he didn't, he got jumpy and twitchy. Not to mention that any anger he felt would quickly turn to violence. Not even the pills helped with that.

David sighed heavily and ran a hand down his face, flinching in pain when his fingers brushed his black eye. He hadn't broken his nose thank god, but it ached. What was he gonna do now?

David groaned and hit the back of his head against the tree. His fingers already itched to kill again, and he felt himself shivering. Dammit. Breathing in deeply, David forced himself to relax and headed into the mess hall.

Daniel sat in the coffee shop alone, looking down at his half empty cup blankly. However his mind was racing in all different directions. While he acted nonchalant, when he'd found out about David's... tendencies, there had been a jolt of fear.

It faded sure, but a prickling uneasiness remained. The sweet redhead didn't seem capable of such things at all! But the way his shoulders shook with laughter as blood pooled into the water... Daniel would never forget how the moonlight caught David's eyes.

They'd been full of joy.

And to Daniel, that may have been the scariest part. Then again, he'd heard from David that Max didn't believe anyone could be as happy as he was. The boy was certainly right in that regard.

He could kill someone mercilessly, dump their body, and then snap right back. Who even does that? Daniel felt himself let out a shaky exhale. Clearly, tricking David into murdering his campers was out of the question. And killing David himself was definitely off the list.

Man that counselor could weild an axe. It wouldn't come as a surprise if he was good with knives too. Daniel shuddered. So what was he going to do? What was the next game plan?

At this point, all he could do what see where things went. And hope to Zeemug that David didn't kill him first.

Max picked at his food. Even though David wasn't a murderer, that still meant that someone was. And someone had dumped a body in the lake. Speculation swirled in the camper's mind, interrupted by the sudden opening of the mess hall doors.

"Hello Campers!" It was David. Nobody seemed to care if he was there or not. Max watched as David grabbed himself a tray, unbothered by this, and sat with Gwen. The two fell into a hushed and serious discussion that Max strained to hear. Nikki noticed this and tilted her head quizzically, opening her mouth to speak before Max silenced her with a shake of his head.

Neil picked up on it too at this point, and all three tried to catch snatches of conversation. Unfortunately they couldn't hear anything over the general chatter, and Max groaned in defeat. "Even if David isn't a killer, he's hiding something! I know it!" Max scowled at his food, as if it had personally offended him somehow.

"Can't deny that, but what? Last time we tried to uncover David's secrets, we found a dead body instead." Neil pointed out, Nikki nodding in agreement. She would have spoken, but her mouth was full of food.

A yell escaped Max and he hit his head on the table, almost grateful when everyone was shooed outside for activities. David gathered everyone together and explained that the dangerous person in the woods had thankfully been apprehended, and camp activities could return to normal.

The children murmured at this, their attention then being diverted by David's boisterous attitude as he told them they'd all be going on a short hike to a pond in the woods, where the kids could swim and cool off from the summer heat.

Everyone was ready within minutes, eager to get swimming. Max pretended not to care, but he had to admit that cold water sounded perfect right about now.

Halfway through the hike, Max was getting bored. The heat from the sun was beating down on him, and in the hoodie he was sweating like a pig. "Short hike my ass! Seriously David, where the fuck is the pond?" He spat angrily.

There was a ripple of agreement from the other campers, and soon everyone was complaining to David about the hike. "Now now campers-" "We just wanna swim David!" "Where's the fucking pond David?" They kept whining, voices mingling into chaos.

Max smirked evilly. Poor David helplessly tried to shut them up, and Gwen just covered her ears and sighed. "Kids please-" Louder they shouted. "Kids-!" Even louder. "SHUT UP!" David all but screamed.

Silence.

The air was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and David stood there, fingers curling in as if he wanted to grab the nearest kid and shake them. But instead he took a deep breath and smiled. "Better, now let's get moving again! The pond is only five more minutes away!"

Doing as told, the group got moving again. Max stared at the back of David's head, stunned. That was very un-David-like. The poor guy had been on edge all day. "But why?" Max grumbled aloud. "What's he trying so hard to hide?"

Seemed like the more he tried to understand David, the bigger a mystery he became.

What was he supposed to do now?

What- or who- could help him figure out David?


	10. Sometimes It's Better To Avoid Your Counselor's Love Life

David couldn't sleep.

He'd been sitting up for the past three hours pacing around his cabin, and it was much too cramped. It seemed like everything was falling apart at his fingertips. First Daniel finds out about his... pastime. And even though Daniel doesn't hate him, he notices how weary the blond has become. Plus Max was now suspicious of him and was actively trying to find out his secret!

David groaned and pulled at his hair. It was clear to him. Until Max and the other campers left, he couldn't kill anything. The risks were too high and Max might sneak out again, only this time he might find David a bit too early.

Shakily he sighed and placed his palms against the wall, letting his forehead rest on the cool wood. His fingers already itched again, but he forced it down.

Time to pull out the old coping mechanisms, he supposed. "Happy happy happy happy happy! I'm happy, everything is ok! Nobody needs to die. Happy happy happy..." he whispered to himself, almost startled at how shaky his voice sounded when it broke the silence of the cabin.

Repeating the phrase over and over, David eventually exhausted himself and stumbled towards the bed, asleep within seconds.

The day went by in a blur, and he wasn't exactly sure what had happened. All that mattered was that the day went by without a hitch, and he seemed the same as ever. David clocked back in to awareness near the end of the day, courtesy of a water balloon to the face from Max.

"Hah! Look at your fucking hair!" Max cracked up at how ridiculous David looked with his usually fluffy hair hanging heavily in his face. The counselor grit his teeth but pulled it together. "Max, you really shouldn't be throwing those around! We don't want any campers catching a cold because they're wet!"

The camper rolled his eyes. "Yea whatever! Relax David, it's not that big of a deal!" "Just go easy on it Max!" David chided, but let it be, instantly springing back into happy mode. The angry ten year old stared in disbelief. "Seriously? That's it? No lecture. Nothing? What the fuck?!"

A smile pulled at David's cheeks just a tad too wide. "Well Max, it was only one balloon and I already told you to stop. We have other things to take care of, so that's in the past!" David turned and excitedly annouced their next activity, feeling more himself now.

Max scowled and Neil looked at him worriedly as he and Nikki walked up to their friend. "What's wrong? David's not acting unusual." "There's no way he's this happy! Plus, the bruises on his neck are fading from what I can tell. Something's changed! I just don't know what." Nikki shrugged. "Maybe his date knows."

Max and Neil stared at her. "What? If we can get ahold of his fling, we can maybe get some info David won't tell us." Neil grinned. "Nikki that's a great idea! But how will we get David's phone off of him?"

Max smirked. "I think I know how..."

David counted heads one more time. He'd done this three times over and each time came up three short. Max, Nikki, and Neil were nowhere to be found. "What could they be up to?" The counselor wondered aloud, clearly worried.

"Oh hey David~!" His head snapped around. It was Max! Turning to fully face the boy, David grinned. "Well hello Max! I was wondering where you'd run off to! It's getting really late, you should head back to your cabin, Nikki and Neil too!" David yawned, feeling tired after worrying most of last night.

Max smirked nefariously. "In a second David, I have something to accomplish first!" In a swift movement, Max grabbed David's pants and yanked them down, leaving the poor man in nothing but his boxers.

"Hah! You have tree boxers?" The jab was loud, and campers turned to look. In the confusion, Nikki crouched behind David and snatched the phone from between his ankles, where it had been pushed out of his pocket.

As David angrily pulled his shorts back up, Nikki snuck off into Max's tent where Neil was waiting. Minutes later Max came running, red-faced and laughing. "Did you see his face? That was great! Anyway, show me the phone!"

The three crowded around and looked down at the screen. The only recent contact was "(boy)friend :)". Max gagged. "Gross. Text him!" Neil took the phone into his hands. "What should I say? The last sent text is from the other guy and it says "Let's hang out soon,".

Max rolled his eyes and snatched the phone. "Watch and learn children, watch and learn." Thumbs flew rapidly across the screen as Max exchanged messages with what he dubbed David's little fling.

"Yea! I'd love to hang out soon again, how's about tomorrow? I'll be heading into town anyway!"

"Sounds wonderful! We can meet at the café! Can't wait to see you Davey~!"

"Me neither! Love you lots! ❤️ "

The whole time, his face was scrunched up uncomfortably. Finally he put the phone down, grinning at his friends. "There. Tomorrow when David goes to pick up supplies, we're gonna meet him at the little café. Apparently "Davey" likes to meet him there."

Neil shook his head in disbelief. "Wow. I always underestimate your ability to be utterly evil." "We're like secret agents! I'm so excited!!" Nikki inerjected, hopping up excitedly. "Yea yea whatever, just get out and sleep you two. We have to sneak into David's car tomorrow, so be sharp!"

With that, the two left and Max headed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

The next morning the trio managed to sneak away from camp activities. It was becoming easier and easier with everything they (mostly Max) had been doing. Safely tucked in the trunk of David's car once again, they waited until the man was in the hardware store before heading to the café.

There was only one man waiting outside of the small establishment. Max's eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, and he felt Nikki and Neil tense up beside him.

"Daniel is David's boyfriend?!"


	11. Happy Happy

Max stared up in shock at the blond man before him. Daniel seemed equally surprised, and clearly slightly panicked. "Why hello Max! Why are you in town, shouldn't you be back at camp?" His blue eyes darted around as if searching for an escape route. 

"Actually, we're here for you." Said Neil, gesturing to Daniel. "Well, we came for David's boyfriend but that's you so..." Nikki added, shrugging. This didn't seem to bother her as much as it did Max and Neil.

However Max was sort of losing it. "So David's been dating you for the past few weeks and he didn't tell us?! What the hell! I thought that David overshares way too much, how'd he keep you a secret?!" 

Daniel looked unimpressed, leaning against the outer wall of the café with a raised eyebrow. "I assume it was you who texted me then? I answer your question with another, why the fuck do you wanna talk to me so badly?" 

Neil finally stepped up to the plate. "David's been acting awful suspicious, and he won't tell us what's going on. We thought that if we talked to his boyfriend we could get a clearer picture of what's going on." 

"Yea but it turns out the fucking moron went out with you! I mean seriously, does it not register that you probably wanna fucking kill him?!" Interjected Max, glowering at Daniel with all the hatred his little ten year old body could muster up. 

The cultist rolled his eyes, but his body visibly tensed. "I'm not going to kill David, or anyone for that matter. Frankly, David scares me sometimes." He didn't seem to acknowledge the confusion and slight fear that followed his statement. 

Max, Nikki, and Neil stared. "Afraid? Why? David's not scary." Nikki said, bewildered. "David wouldn't hurt a fly!" Added Neil, skeptical at best of Daniel's words.

The blond let out a short, barking laugh that startled the children. "Oh you kids have no idea do you? Well, I'll tell ya something, David's strong enough to pick me up and throw me like a ragdoll, I'd watch myself if I were you." 

Somehow, hearing those words from the mouth of someone as dangerous as Daniel struck a chord with Nikki, Neil, and especially Max.

"What the fuck do you mean? What do you know?!" Max spat, stepping towards Daniel with hatred burning inside him. "I'm not saying anything. You're gonna have to figure that out for yourselves." 

Max was about to protest, but he saw the way Daniel's eyes darkened, and how he started to tower over Max. It once again occured to the boy that Daniel was a murderer, and could easily end his life. 

"Listen, just go back to camp and stop worrying about David. It'll do you some good." Daniel finally said, waving them off. "Wait." Nikki said. All eyes fell on her, but her focus was on the cultist. "I have just one question. Did David hurt someone?" 

The boldness of her statement seemed to catch even Daniel off guard, and he looked at her in surprise. However he quickly found himself again and smiled. It was sickening and much too wide, like a chesire cat. "No. No he did not." And anyone could tell he was telling the truth.

"Now kiddos, since you've so kindly lured me to a false date to talk about David behind my back, I think it's only fitting that you are disciplined, don't you agree~?" His smile turned into a grin, bleach white teeth and pink gums filling the vision of the kids. 

Max started to step back, all three were ready to run. "G-get the fuck away you filthy c-cultist!" Snapped Max, looking like a cornered animal. But Daniel's eyes were on something behind the children, and he waved cheerfully. "Why David, fancy meet you here!" 

Nikki was the first to turn around, the other two following suit. Their eyes fell on a very annoyed looking David. "Kids! Really, again you sneak into town? Did you learn nothing last time?" 

As David chewed them out, Max looked back at Daniel. The man smirked triumphantly, he had won. 

"I am so sorry about this Daniel!" David said, pulling the cultist's attention on to him. "Oh don't you worry David! They're perfectly wonderful kiddos, they were just being kids!" But David was still angry. "Well, I'll make sure to teach them a lesson!" 

And with that, he shoved the three protesting kids back to the car, still reprimanding them. Daniel watched him go, feeling a small smile pull at his lips. He felt a rush of affection, strange. Some part of him melted at the adorably angry expression on David's face. 

That was worrying. 

He turned around and started to walk away, deeply puzzled by this new discovery. Developing genuine feelings for David could cause even more complications that he wished he could avoid. 

And what was he going to do about those nosy kids. 

Ah well, back to the drawing board! 

The whole way back to camp David ranted. He wasn't even this angry last time, Max realized. Eventually he got so sick of it that he interrupted. "Yea yea sure ok but we wouldn't have done that if we had known who your boyfriend was!" He complained. 

"Who I'm with is none of your business Max, you'd do well to remember that." Growled David. That certainly shut Max up for a second. Since when did David growl? And his grip on the steering wheel was white-knuckled. Why was David so defensive? 

Max looked to his friends for support, but Neil wouldn't meet his eyes and Nikki shrugged. "He's right you know, it's not our jobs to know everything about him." A surprisingly wise statement from the usually hyperactive puppy dog girl. 

A pout overtook Max's face and the camper slouched in his seat, defeated. 

David took a deep, shuddering breath as they pulled up to the camp. His fingers twitched and jerked, but he managed to wrench open the side doors of the car and usher the kids out. "I'm putting you three on cleaning duty for the rest of the week! I can't believe you tried to sneak into town again, and that you harrased Daniel like that!" 

The kids groaned, but David's uncharacteristically angry glare left no room for argument, so they walked back to camp in awkward silence. David stayed behind to unload the car of things he'd bought. 

"So what now? We're no closer than we were before to finding out David's secret!" Nikki said, throwing her arms up in annoyance. "Yea, and we got stuck with cleaning duty. This plan was a goddamn bust." 

Max rolled his eyes, but conceded. "True it went south, but now we know who David's boyfriend is! I can't believe he's dating that fucking cultist, how'd that even come to be?!" 

The trio pondered the implications of that, but nothing came of it. "Well I say we all let it go and leave it for a while. Maybe something will come up." Neil suggested. 

"Yea let's go play in the dirt!" Nikki yelled, dragging off poor Neil to some probably dangerous activities. Max sighed, they were right. He just needed to let everything stew. 

Something new would present itself, it always did.

David sat in his cabin, looking at his hands. He'd been like this for a while now. The palms of his hands were so... blank. Boring, he decided. Max had made him so angry! He'd been so close, he could have reached out and just- 

No. 

David shook his head roughly. None of those thoughts. Something productive. Like how they even knew where Daniel was, or that he'd be in town. That was oddly suspicious. 

But the look of fear and guilt on the faces of those three campers was burned into David's mind. Even with his eyes shut he saw it so clearly. He dreaded to think of those faces in a different context. 

Hurt his kids? Never, he could never do that. Yet each time one of them annoyed him, his fingers would twitch and his eye developed a tick. He loved them all so much, but he was so scared that he'd get angry enough and lash out. 

Not to mention Daniel's face when David got angry. It was resigned, like he almost expected David to hurt them. Somehow that stung the most. He worried sometimes, about the looks he'd catch Daniel giving him when he thought David wasn't looking. 

All the love would drain from his face, and there'd be only apprehension, a small veil over masked calculation and analysis of David. It unnerved him. Why did Daniel look at him like that? 

The redhead groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. This was all too much for him. He got up and stretched, leaving the cabin. 

Everything was fine, he was happy, the camp was happy, it was all ok. 

Happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy 

Happy.

Happy.


	12. To Kill A Robin

Bad. 

Bad bad bad this was very bad. 

Daniel paced up and down his hotel room, muttering curses to himself. His phone sat on the messy bed, still open to the last coversation he'd had. 

With David, of course. 

It was a fairly normal exchange, just asking how the each other's day went, and seeing if they could meet up soon. 

So why the hell was his face so red?   
Now Daniel wasn't a moron, he knew what flustered was, but why? What changed that made him so genuinely excited to see David? 

He had a fairly good idea, but would rather not acknowledge it. But after pacing for upwards of 20 minutes, Daniel had to give in. 

He was catching feelings for David. 

And who could blame him? David was the sweetest guy he'd ever met! Gentle, patient, optimistic, not to mention that his partner's physical and emotional wellbeing always came first! 

Daniel pulled at his hair, groaning. David was the perfect boyfriend! That fact infuriated the blond more than anything. It was his fault though, he'd let it get this far.

Frankly, he should've skipped town the minute he realized David was a murderer. 

But did he? 

No, of course he didn't, because Daniel enjoyed the thrill of danger. "Goddammit!" He yelled, slamming his fist against the wall as hard as he could. 

The pain helped clear his head a little, and he finally sat down on the bed, rubbing the injured hand. "What do I do now?" He wondered aloud. 

His fingers itched. His neck twitched. And his body was wracked with jitters. God, he really needed to do something. Kill something. 

A soft thump echoed in the tiny room as Daniel hopped to his feet. He buttoned down his white shirt, revealing a grey tank top and changed his white pants out for black jeans. Fixing his hair in the mirror and cleaning his hands, Daniel grinned. 

When he felt that he looked presentable enough, he left the hotel room with nothing but a wallet, his keys, and his knife. 

The walk to Muffin Topz wasn't far, and he knew the way. In this tiny town, it was the easiest place to pick up drunk men and women and slaughter them. So many people came and went that nobody would question it if a few disappeared off the map. 

As he pushed open the door, a rush of warm air, loud music, and the smell of alcohol assaulted his senses. Ugh. He cracked his neck and walked to the bar, ordering the first item he saw on the menu. It was some sort of martini, but that was the least of his worries. 

A man took a seat next to him, and Daniel analyzed the dude. Tall, white, purple hair, decently muscular. He noted how the man hunched a little, like he was trying to hide, and how his pale eyes looked around nervously. 

This guy had probably been dragged here by his friends, Daniel decided. Forcing a pleasant and open smile, Daniel nudged him. "Heya! You don't look too happy to be here, friends forced you?" Purple, as Daniel named him in his mind, looked up. "Huh? Oh, yea. This isn't exactly my scene." Purple laughed sheepishly. 

"I can tell! I'm Daniel by the way, lovely to meet you!" He stuck out his hand, grinning as the other shook it. "Nice to meet you! I'm Robin." Ah, Robin was his name. "Well Robin, mind if I keep you company for awhile?" 

The two chatted well into the night. He learned many unnecessary details about Robin, but that didn't matter. Because finally, the man yawned. "Yikes, you look tired. Hows about you and I ditch this place and head to a cafe? It'll be a bit quieter there." Suggested Daniel, offering a gentle smile. 

Robin nodded, rubbing his eyes. "That sounds amazing right now Daniel, I'll just text my friends that I'm leaving." The blond nodded eagerly, getting out of his seat and leaving the bar with Robin. They walked down the street, chattering idly. 

Eventually they came up to Daniel's car. The two began to pass right by but Daniel stopped. "Hold on, this is my car. I just have to grab something from inside, can you wait there?" Robin nodded, rubbing his arm and looking shyly away as Daniel bent down to look in the glove compartment. 

Poor guy was flustered, how cute. A smile pulled on his cheeks as he found what he was looking for. Checking to find the streets deserted, he stood up and turned to Robin. "Sweet dreams!" "Wha-" Before he could say anything, Daniel yanked the man in and covered his mouth with a cloth. The cholorform worked it's magic and Robin was out like a light.

He gently settled the man into the passenger side of his car, hopping into the driver's side and speeding off. 

The drive took them a little ways out of town, to an old cabin that belonged to a woodsman. At least, Daniel assumed it did. The place was abandoned now, perfect for him. 

Finding Robin to weigh rather little, he carried the man and a bag of things up the porch steps and into the empty living room. 

In the middle of the barren space stood a single chair. Daniel set Robin down, pulling off his hoodie and shirt. Those would only get in the way of his knife. He finished by tying the other's ankles to the chair and wrists together behind it. 

Pulling his knife out of the bag, Daniel sat on the ground and waited for Robin to wake up. 

This was gonna be so much fun.

While sitting there, he had time to think. Mostly about David. What was he to do about these gross feelings that plauged him? There was no clear course of action he could take, and he knew that it hurt David whenever he was nervous or afraid around the redhead. 

He didn't want to make David upset, it hurt his heart in ways that he absolutely hated. Thankfully, before he could delve any deeper into those thoughts, Robin stirred. 

"H-huh? Wha-? Where am I?" Trying to straighten up, Robin seemed to realize that he couldn't move. His eyes darted up to meet Daniel's, full of fear. "Daniel? What's going on?"

Gleefully smiling, the blond hopped to his feet. "Well Robin, you're in an abandoned cabin with your legs tied to a chair, facing a man with a knife in his hand who brought you here with a mysterious bag of stuff. What do you think that means?" A sharp crack echoed around the musty cabin as Daniel jerked his head to the side. 

Dread filled the face of the male in front of him. Ah, now he got it. "P-please no, I'll give you whatever you want! J-just don't hurt me please!"

Daniel laughed, enjoying how Robin flinched. "I don't want anything from you. You're going to be my little punching bag for a while, isn't that fun?" 

Tears dripped down Robin's pale cheeks. There was no way he was getting out, he knew that. 

Daniel walked to his bag of things, reaching inside and pulling out a pair of pliers. Turning to Robin, he grinned, blue eyes glinting with only malice. 

"So darling, let's get started!"


	13. Break The Bird's Wings

WARNING. THIS CONTAINS GRAPHIC TORTURE AND MURDER! YOU CAN SKIP DOWN, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER REMINDER WHEN IT'S OVER.

Daniel took a moment to relish in the look of terror that the young man gave him. Such a lovely expression, one he hadn't seen in a while. Twirling the pliers between his fingers, Daniel draped an arm over Robin's shoulder and leaned in close.

"P-please-" He stuttered, tears pricking in his deep, doe eyes. "P-please mister! Don't hurt me!" Daniel mocked, chuckling darkly. "Enough with the whining, it gets annoying. Every time you annoy me-" He shoved the pliers into Robin's mouth, gripping one of his canines and ripping it violently out. "I'll pull out a tooth. Understand?"

Robin desperately held back sobs, nodding his head. "Good boy." Pulling back, Daniel dropped the bloody tooth onto the floor carelessly. Out of his bag he pulled what looked like hooks, and short chains. With that came a needle, thread, carving knife, and a first aid kit. He set the first aid kit down, dropping everything else aside from the hooks and chain in Robin's lap.

Blood dripped down the pale boy's cheek, which Daniel wiped gently away. His eyes widened when the cultist held up two hooks, fear evident and oh so wonderful.

Allowing himself a cruel smile, Daniel spoke. "Robin dearest, you look so miserable. I want to make you smile! Hold still~!" Giggling, he shoved the hooks into Robin's mouth and pulled, forcing his lips to stretch wide and open. He grabbed the chain and used it to secure the hooks, stepping back to admire the handiwork.

"You look great!" Said Daniel, giving a comically positive thumbs up. Tears slipped down Robin's face, and he tried to stay quiet. There were so many things Daniel could do to the poor boy, hmm...

His eyes drifted to the knife. Perfect. With a spring in his step he grabbed the sharp blade, slicing Robin's hoodie and shirt clean off. "You're so pale, this will show up great~!" Chirped Daniel, pressing the blade to Robin's chest teasingly. A whimper. Icy blue eyes shot up to watch Robin's face twist as much as it could into pure, unadulterated fear. He shook his head, whining like a wounded animal.

"No? Awwww. Don't worry, you'll look gorgeous!" Daniel pouted like a child, letting his eyes fall back to the knife. Pressing it in, he began to carve. Careful, methodical movements made up the beautiful, intricate pattern.

Robin screamed, unable to struggle or speak, it was all he had left to do. Scream and cry. Daniel ignored the noises, only focusing more on the task at hand. The pattern looked to be a pentagram with flames extending out from the edges. Inside the outer spaces were symbols, precisely carved to be pinpoint accurate. "All done! Now your soul will be pure when you die!"

Man, Daniel had to admit, this was one of his better works. However Robin was too busy screaming and crying to admire it. Oh well, his loss!

"Shh shhh. Enough screaming, don't make me angry now." He whispered into the boy's ear, hearing his screams quiet into shuddering sobs. The noise was entertaining for a while, but Daniel wanted him to shut up. He ripped the hooks out of Robin's cheeks, tossing them to the ground and grabbing a cloth. He shoved the balled up rag into Robin's mouth.

Finally, the purple-haired boy shut up. With a pleased sigh, Daniel picked up the needle and thread. Using a scrap of Robin's destroyed shirt he gently wiped away the blood, then got the needle ready. The needle pierced skin and pulled smoothly through. Moving slowly, Daniel sewed up the pattern so it would look nice. The dark red thread was a gorgeous contrast against such pale skin, he thought.

Finally, he finished and tied off the string. Robin's chest heaved, only causing the poor guy more pain. Daniel looked up to see the tears flowing down his cheeks and dripping off his chin. "Awww, poor baby~!" Cooed the cruel blond, wiping the tears away in mock affection.

Putting his bloodied supplies into the bag, he rummaged around before finding what he was looking for.

A skiving knife.

"Do you know what this is, darling~?" Asked Daniel, holding it up. Robin shook his head. "Well! These little babies are used in leatherwork. They're razor sharp and are designed to slice off thin bits of leather to make it thinner. Very useful if the leather you're using is too thick, or if you want to carefully skin a young man!"

In that moment, Robin freaked out. He shook his head wildly, muffledly begging for his life through the gag and rattling the chair with his struggling. But to no avail, as Daniel straddled the young boy and trailed the knife over his collar bone. "Watch~!"

With a clean, precise movement, he sliced off a thin layer of skin. Robin screamed into the gag. Daniel's smile grew wider, and more twisted. With a sickening crack of his head and cruel blue eyes boring into Robin's pale skin, he sliced off another sliver. Doing this until Robin couldn't scream anymore and blood pooled in the shallow area of his collar.

With a self-satisfied grin he got up, pacing around the poor boy. Clearly, he just wanted to die, for it to be over. But Daniel had one last trick up his sleeve. He grabbed the pliers, kneeling behind Robin.

He took one of his hands, gripping the nail with the plier. A dark laughter echoed in Robin's ears.

Then Daniel tore the fingernail out.

He slowly moved along both Robin's hands, relishing in the pops and squishy tearing of flesh. Feeling the oozing blood all over his fingers.

At last the fingernails littered the floor and Daniel was done. Wiping his hands on a cloth he came around and looked at Robin, pulling the gag out. "Please-!" The boy gasped before Daniel could speak. "Please just fucking kill me! I can't take it! Please..." His voice broke and the bloody man cried silently, heaving in pain.

"Now that's what I like to hear~!" Purred Daniel. Sick desires satisfied, he had no more use for Robin anyway. He grabbed his ritual knife and held Robin's shoulder to keep him steady. Placing the tip of the knife just under Robin's chin, he held it there, then sliced down.

His neck split open and blood covered Daniel's hands, his knife, and some splattered on his face. Robin was dead within seconds. Daniel stepped back, nearly stumbling on the uneven floor. 

-VIOLENCE ENDS HERE-

For a few seconds there was silence. Then laughter. Horrible, horrible laughter. It filled the old house and bounced off the rickety walls. Daniel held his stomach, cackling like the devil he was.

Finally he managed to calm himself, still giggling. He buried the body out back. Nobody came around here, there was little chance it'd be found. Using a cloth he wiped away most of the blood and packed his tools.

"Well, that went smoothly!" He chirped to himself, breathing in the fresh night air with an easy smile. The car's engine roared and he sped back to the hotel.

By the time he'd collapsed in bed, Daniel was feeling tired but pleased with himself.

Then it hit him.

He was in love with David.

"Ah fuck."


	14. Too Many Eyes

David sat up in bed. It was late, far later than usual. How long had he been asleep? The redhead swung his legs over and got dressed, then headed into the bathroom to fix himself up.

Man he looked awful. With a groan he splashed water on his face and with it the bathroom floor. Fixing his hair, David took a moment to see how he looked.

Dark circles sat heavy under his eyes, and he was far too pale. His hair was halfway in order, but hardly. It looked like he hadn't slept in days. Which frankly wasn't all that far from the truth.

Usually his pills helped with the insomnia and anxiety, but the urge to kill was causing him to stay awake until the early hours of the morning, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and freaking out. The poor guy really didn't know what to do.

Then he steeled himself and straightened up. He ruffled his hair into place and forced a smile. It looked normal enough. It always did. With that, he left the cabin to start his day.

The plan was simple, they would begin with a play Preston had been working on, then move to a science demonstration by Neil, and would end on a magic show with Harrison. Then they would all have lunch and David would let them go off to their respective camps.

This also gave him the time to go to town with Daniel! Lately, he found he'd been wanting to spend increasingly more time with the blond. He knew why. Unfortunately for David, he had and was falling for Daniel, and hard. Honestly it kind of scared him. What if Daniel got bored of him?

No use panicking now. There were things to be done! He roused the campers and got them into the mess hall, still rubbing the sleep from their eyes. He decided to skip on breakfast, and made himself coffee instead. There was a deep exhaustion in his bones that he just couldn't explain.

Gwen raised an eyebrow as he sat down. "Jeez David, what's up with you? You look like shit, are you sick?" Before he could answer she put a hand on his forehead, but his temperature was totally normal. "No... so what's up?" David shrugged weakly. "I just had a bad night's sleep is all." 

It was a pathetic excuse and the counselor knew it too. "Oh bullshit. What's wrong?" Gwen pressed, clearly worried for her friend. "Things have been... a little rough. The pills aren't working like they used to." That much was true, at least.

The brunette's eyes shone sympathetically. "Oh..." she murmured. "I'm sorry David. If you need, I can cover for you." "N-no! It's fine!" He said, waving a hand. "But thank you." He gave her a soft smile.

Max watched David drink his coffee with narrowed eyes. "That's weird. Since when does David drink coffee?" "D'no." Nikki replied, muffled through a mouthful of slop. "Gross Nikki, swallow first." Neil shuddered. "David looks like shit." The boy pointed out.

"Thanks Captain Obvious!" Max snarked, but looked more closely at David. The science kid was not wrong, David looked awful. Despite his self proclaimed hatred of the man, Max still felt a pang of worry. After all, this wasn't normal.

"I think I know why that's worrying." Nikki mumbled, uncharacteristically soft. "Well spit it out!" Max shot back. "He looks alot like you. The dark circles, the messy hair, and the dull eyes." The camper stared at her. "I don't know whether to be offended or impressed that you noticed that."

"I'd say both." Neil said. The trio watched David for a while longer. Well, Max watched David. The other two lost interest. But Max was freaking out! What could possibly be wrong?

David hunched over his coffee. Though rationally he knew that Gwen was buried in a magazine, and all the other kids were more focused on each other, his anxiety told him they were all staring. 'They know what you did.' It hissed at him, tantalizing and cruel.

They were looking. He knew it! Over their trays and books, past eachother's heads. All those eyes were on him! They knew. Oh god oh god they knew.

All the eyes were on him. They were staring at him! He couldn't take it! David grabbed his hair and took deep breaths. Now now, that wasn't true. Right? As if to prove this to himself, David looked around the mess hall. His eyes met Max's. The boy looked away guiltly and David had to fight the rising panic.

Again he scanned the whole room. Nobody was looking at him, nobody. See? Everything was fine, he was worried over nothing! David let out a sigh of relief and got up.

The kids finished their food and tossed the disposable trays away, then were reluctantly lead out by an enthusiastic David and bored Gwen. All David had to do was stick to the plan and the day would go smooth as butter!

Though as soon as the day got started, David zoned out. Everything was just going through the motions with no real feeling to them. None at all. As soon as he could get away, a wave of relief washed over him.

Strange, he never felt happy to get away from camp. But the feeling of those kids staring. All those eyes on him... he shuddered. Then he remembered he'd be going to town with Daniel, and his mood considerably brightened. It was a good escape to get out of his own head for a while.

He stood in his cabin and adjusted his clothes. Today he'd decided to go for a little change! A plaid shirt, black t-shirt, blue jeans, and his usual boots made up the outfit. For a moment he hesitated, then put on the red beanie that Gwen had given him once when she didn't want it.

David wasn't one to say this often, but he looked cute! A little grin graced the man's face as he headed out, walking out of the camp. He couldn't help but grin wider as he saw Daniel.

The blond was in a long sleeved white shirt, open to reveal a dark grey tank top underneath. And were those black jeans? Was he trying to kill David?! "You look fantastic Daniel!" Said the redhead excitedly, a tiny bit pink in the face.

"Why thank you David. You look handsome yourself!" Daniel replied, smiling wide. Thought it didn't pass David by that he seemed to be blushing, and his eyes kept glancing up and down the counselor. Hmmm...

Deciding not to mention it yet, David simply said a "thank you!" And got into the car. As they drove, David felt all the urges fade away. Well, not all. But all the murderous ones. He was ready to have a great time with Daniel!

Although he wondered...

What was up with that missing person poster on the dashboard of Daniel's car?


	15. Fluttering Lashes

David picked up the poster slowly, looking at the picture. A young man with pale skin and bright eyes greeted him. He noticed the soft purple hair and toothy grin. Kid couldn't have been older than 18, and had apparently gone missing recently.

"What's this?" David asked, holding up the paper. Daniel glanced at it for a moment. Keeping his eyes on the road intently he sighed. Then giggled. "No one important. Just found the poster on the ground." While it was highly unlikely that was the whole truth, David left it. It really wasn't worth the effort, he decided. And frankly he didn't want to know either.

He set the post down and lapsed back into comfortable silence. Eventually the two reached town and Daniel opened the car door for David. The two had a wonderful time! Of course they did, David thought, he was with Daniel!

After wandering around town for a few hours and just generally goofing off, the two decided to get dinner. Thought David tried to rush through his affair. The waitress had been flirting with him, and Daniel's expression was getting dangerous. Thankfully though, a crisis was averted.

The two left the restaurant, and David gave Daniel a long kiss. That certaintly got rid of his grumpy mood fast. With a brightened attitude, he lead David to a nearby ice cream shop. As the two ate their sweet treats and walked hand in hand down the streets, David decided that tonight had been really nice!

Daniel turned to David as he tossed his now empty cone. "Listen, David. I wasn't sure if I should ask this but... It's worth a try." David tossed his cone as well. What on earth could Daniel want to tell him?

"Well. We've been on dates, we've kissed. But there's still... something. So I suppose what I want to say is-" he leaned in closer, now whispering in the redhead's ear. "Would you like to come back home with me? I could show you a thing or two~"

What did that mean? David was bewildered for a second. Then it clicked. Oh. Oh. The counselor's eyes went wide and he turned an adorable shade of dark pink. "Oh my..." was his quiet reply. Daniel chuckled lowly and David knew he couldn't refuse.

Despite the fact that he knew the trip to Daniel's hotel took 15 minutes, it felt like no time at all before the two were heading up the stairs and into Daniel's room. Poor guy hardly had a chance to look around the room before he was being pushed against the bedroom door, and Daniel seemed to tower over him.  
-SMUT STARTS HERE, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER REMINDER WHEN IT'S OVER-  
"Have you ever done this before~?" The blond asked, cupping David's face. "N-no not really." He shyly admitted. "Well then, I'll make sure this is a night to remember." Before David could answer, the blond kissed him.

It started sweet, but turned harsh and demanding. Daniel growled as he pulled away, moving to David's neck instead. The redhead gasped sharply as he felt Daniel begin to suck on the soft skin there, and instantly melted into his arms.

But Daniel was also surprisingly gentle. He never pressed David to go too fast or to move through. He was rather content to just leave hickeys on David. Slowly he pressed his thigh between David's legs, and he let out a soft moan.

With a soft whimper David moved his hips against it, pleasure suddenly spiking and sending blood running far away from his head. Daniel took notice and grinned mischievously. Slowly he pressed his leg in harsher, and David gasped. "Ah~!"

Daniel's blue eyes flashed and his gaze grew hungrier. He had to hear that noise again. His fingers curled around the hem of David's shirt and suddenly it was off. Daniel's teeth moved to David's collar bone, nipping and sucking playfully on the freckled skin.

The redhead threaded his fingers through Daniel's hair, and he gasped softly. He was far too shy to do anything, and figured Daniel knew what he was doing. Slowly the blond lead him to the bed, pushing him against the soft mattress.

"Are you sure you want to go on? We can stop if you like." It was such a sweet question, and David's heart melted. His lover just wanted to make sure he was ok. But the redhead wanted this, so he nodded. Daniel's soft expression melted into a mischievous grin.

With a low chuckle he nipped at David's chest, moving lower and lower. The man squirmed, whimpering softly. But his eyes went wide once Daniel's teeth stopped at the line of his pants. Ok, holy shit.

The blond glanced up, waiting expectantly. David nodded again. He grabbed the zipper and pulled it down with his teeth. In an instant David was bright red. Daniel pulled his pants off, eyes half lidded in a way that should be fucking illegal.

Hooking his fingers around the edge of David's boxers, he smirked slightly. Then, leaning in, he breath hot air onto David's clothed dick. Sharply David inhaled. Daniel's blue eyes darkened, and he ran a finger along the length teasingly.

"Hn~!" The redhead jolted, turning bright red now. "Still alright there Davey~?" Asked the smug cultist, grinning slightly. His nimble fingers still teased David, leaving the poor thing whimpering. "I-I'm just g-great-" He choked out.

From his back pocket Daniel pulled a bottle of lube. Of course it was a really nice brand too. Typical Daniel being extra. The redhead eyed the bottle uncertaintly. "Don't worry, it'll feel good." Reassured Daniel. Slowly David nodded.

Without hesitation, Daniel pulled off the slightly shorter male's boxers, tossing his own white polo away with it. He poured a generous amount of lube onto his fingers and used his other hand to push David's hips up. Slowly, carefully, he pushed one finger in.

David flinched. It didn't feel all that great, honestly. It almost hurt. But as the blond kept moving around, the feeling slowly faded into something entirely new. Then Daniel crooked his finger just so and David saw stars. "Aah~! Daniel~!" He smirked. "Found it."

Eventually Daniel got three fingers into David, making sure he was properly stretched out. The redhead was squirming and whining softly. His hips had started to move, and Daniel held them down forcefully. "Now now, keep still. Something much better is next~!" He purred.

Slowly pulling his fingers out, Daniel took a moment to admire the sight in front of him. David, flushed and panting, all for him. Within seconds he'd tossed away his pants and boxers. Applying lube to his length, he grabbed David's hips and settled them on his thighs.

"Try to relax~" Then he pushed into the redhead. David gasped. Lashes fluttering, he held the sheets tightly and tried to do as he was told. The stretch was completely different from fingers for sure. Once Daniel bottomed out, he stopped, knowing David needed to adjust.

The burn faded away, and the counselor nodded. "I-I'm good-" He was cut off when Daniel began to move. Green eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open into a pretty "o" shape. His arms wrapped around Daniel's neck, nails scrabbling at the blond's back.

Gradually Daniel picked up the pace of his thrusts in a way that left David breathless. His eyes shut tight and it was all he could do to think anything coherent. "Daniel~! Fu-" He moaned, pleasure racing up and down his spine.

"Fuck- you're tight aren't you~?" Growled the blond, low and harsh. At this point all rationality had completely abandoned David. Roughly he pulled Daniel into a kiss, lips parting with his surprised moans.

The small hotel room filled with begs and moans as a heat coiled somewhere beneath David's stomach. Though he had no idea what it meant. Daniel took David's length in his hand, stroking it quickly. "I'm- Daniel~!" The heat burned and sprung like a releasing coil, and David saw stars.

Daniel came with a similar moan, slowing the pace of hips to help David ride it out. Again he paused to admire the beautiful man beneath him. The counselor was breathing heavily, the most beautiful expression on his face. "That was... woah." He finally said, dazed.   
—SMUT ENDS HERE—  
With a small chuckle Daniel pulled out. "Good description." Gently he picked David up and carried him to the small bathroom. "I can walk!" He protested childishly. "I know." Was the blond's only reply. "Here, take a shower. You can stay here for the night." Setting David down, he placed a kiss on his forhead.

"O-okay..." was David's only reply. His face held an adorable pink tint that just made Daniel's heart melt. Then he left David to shower, taking his clothes and tossing them into the duffle he used for dirty clothes. Once David was all cleaned up, he headed into the bathroom to take a shower himself.

When Daniel came out, he was greeted with the sight of David sitting on his bed, wearing one of his white hoodies. Oh. My. God. "Hey... s-sorry, I just kinda took it huh?" "N-no it's fine!! You look adorable." Assured the blond. Hastily he put on some sweatpants, then climbed into bed and pulled David close.

"You're my precious little David..." he sighed. David blushed, smiling wide. "I love you so much." And he meant it. Honestly David never thought he'd ever get this intimate with another person but... he was glad it was with Daniel.

And as he burrowed his face into Daniel's neck, lulled by his heartbeat, he knew it. Whatever happened, he'd do anything to stay with Daniel. The blond meant the world to him.

"I love you Daniel..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to note I wrote this smut BEFORE I wrote the smut one shot, and have since improved. For decent Danvid porn I'd suggest my one shot "A Little Wicked"


	16. Bloody Roses

The beeping of an alarm woke David from his sleep. Blinking blearily, he sat up and looked a round. Panic flitted through his chest for a moment before he realized where he was. Right, Daniel's place. He'd stayed the night.

David swung his legs around and over the side of the bed. The blond next to him was still fast asleep, how precious. Absently David scratched his head and looked around for his scattered clothes. Yikes, last night sure had been...something.

Just as David was fastening his belt, he heard rustling from the bed and a low groan. "Mmm... David? Where are you going so soon?" There was a low chuckle as the redhead spun on his heels. "O-oh! Daniel! I didn't want to wake you and-" "Relax, relax." Slipping on a pair of sweatpants as he spoke, Daniel got out of bed. "I'm just teasing."

Pale arms wrapped themselves lazily around David's neck, and he nodded weakly. "O-oh." For a moment there was silence. Then Daniel kissed David slowly, smiling at him. "You should get back to camp huh?" A little flustered, David nodded. Who even looks good with bedhead?! Daniel, apparently.

The blond seemed rather reluctant to let David go, but promises of a movie night and cuddles on the weekend seemed to do the trick. With a last kiss to Daniel's cheek, David was off and back to camp. Hopefully no one would see the hickeys. Oh dear...

The drive seemed to take almost no time at all. And far too soon, David was back at camp. He climbed out of the car and immediately was confronted by Gwen. "David! There you are! Where the fuck have you been?! You're late as hell!"

The redhead laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "S-sorry Gwen. I stayed the night in town?" "You- oh my god. OH MY GOD DAVID-" Gwen ran a hand down her face, groaning. "You're going to be the death of me, David, you really are. Just... go to the mess hall."

More than happy to get away from Gwen's harsh stare, David shuffled to the hall. Loud chatter filled his ears as the doors were pushed open. As usual, nobody paid it any mind when he walked in. Thankfully. Hastily he headed to the Quartermaster and got something to eat. This was so strange, David had never been late before!

Max glanced up, seeing David hastily sit in his seat. That wasn't normal. "Yo, since when is David late?" The boy remarked. Neil looked up as well, letting his fork fall to the table with a clatter. "Huh, that's queer." "For fucks sake, don't say that Neil." Max sighed, standing up. "I'm gonna ask him."

As Max moved closer, he noticed how twitchy David was. Fingers tapped the table and his eyes seemed to dart around wildly with no clear path. The dude was a mess! And... what the fuck?! Just above David's collar peeked a bruise. Max thought those had faded! What was going on?

"David?" "Ah!" The redhead shot out of his seat, all hair standing on end. When he saw it was Max, his body visibly relax. "O-oh. Sorry, you startled me Max!" He laughed it off, brushing his jacket even thought there was nothing on it. "How can I help you?" 

Well, that was weird. Not to mention kinda surprising. Yikes. "After breakfast, can I talk to you? Alone? It's important...please." For added effect, Max made his best "puppy dog" face. Evidently it worked, as David instantly melted. "Of course Max! Whatever you need!" "Thanks David..." with that, Max walked away. Hah, it was way too easy!

In no time breakfast was over. Now that the time had come, Max was feeling more nervous about talking to David. What if he got mad? It wasn't a pleasant thought, not at all. Pushing those worries aside, Max waited in the hall for everyone to leave. As expected, David sat down in front of him.

"So Max, what did you need to talk about?" Aw, he was worried. Shaking his head slightly, Max sighed. "It's... it's about Daniel. And you." It was like a switch had been flipped inside David. In an instant he was sitting rigidly and narrowing his eyes. "What about me and Daniel?" "Well..." Max paused, gathering his thoughts. "I'm worried."

Worried? David was confused now. Since when did Max worry? "You're always spending time with Daniel, a fucking cultist! And you've been acting super weird! Since when do you fucking twitch? Or yell at us? Not to mention the fucking bruises are back! What the hell is wrong?"

"B-bruises?" David reached up and held his neck. Oh fuck. "A-anyway! I'm not acting weird, am I?" "Yes you are!" The redhead sighed heavily. "I can't really tell you Max. I'm sorry. But I promise I'm working on it. Everything will be fine! And as for Daniel... well, that's none of your business. I care alot about you Max, but my romance life is my own."

The ravenette was about to protest, but David held up a hand. "No, Max. I'm not saying anything. There's nothing to worry about! We're happy! I..." His pupils dilated a bit, and he smiled. "I love Daniel." Max flinched. Those words did not bring back pleasant memories.

Then he noticed something. Something weird. David's pupils were... more dilated than they should be. It was creepy, like he was fake or a puppet. That wasn't right, that couldn't be right. "O-oh... okay. Whatever then, your funeral I guess." Hands shoved into his pockets, Max left the mess hall.

Now he was sure of two things. One, David was definitely hiding something from him. And two, Daniel was doing something to David. Though he wasn't sure yet what. That thought made Max very, very uneasy. He couldn't get David's eyes out of his head. They weren't hollow like the brainwashed campers had been. In fact it was the opposite. They'd been clearer, sharper. Like he could see every detail of Max and was picking him apart. Piece by piece.

Like he was tearing Max to shreds.


	17. Keep Quiet

Ever since the talk with David, Max had been on edge. Every sharp movement or sudden action made him jump out of his skin. This was only made worse when David expressed concern. That redhead was the last person Max ever wanted to see. Answers, he needed answers. But where to get them?

It came to him when he was pushing slop into his mouth one morning, staring at an icy blue sky. Of course. Daniel. That was the issue! If David and Daniel split, things would go back to normal! They'd make sense again! But how? No matter what he tried, David always chose to see the best in people. Naive moron.

Max needed definitive proof that Daniel was dangerous. That he would put the kids in danger. Because David would do anything for this camp, and Max was gonna use that to his advantage. Whatever it took, he would do it. But first, dirt on Daniel.

Grumbling to himself, the boy marched out of the mess hall and thought hard. There was no way to get that old newspaper, not in this tiny town. They had long been shipped off to a landfill somewhere or... something. He didn't really know. So what?

David was worried. Really worried. Max had been far quieter than usual, and he always seemed deep in thought. Approaching him brought nothing but an annoyed glare and a biting remark. No opening up, that was for sure. Sometimes David could swear the boy was... afraid? God he hoped not. Why would Max ever be scared of him? That's ridiculous!

Alright, that was fucking it. This was nuts!

Gwen held her head and groaned, slamming her head against the desk she currently had the misfortune of occupying. Something was devastatingly wrong here, she knew. However David refused to talk, and nobody else seemed to know anything.

Well, Max did. But Gwen did not want to ask that child anything. She knew how minipulative that boy could be and that was not worth the risk. What other option did she have though? So with a sigh, Gwen got up and headed out to the group of campers.

The crunching of leaves underfoot announced her arrival, but she was gonna make this quick. "I'm taking Max for a second, he'll be back in no time." Informed the counselor. David smiled brightly. "Of course! Go right ahead!"

"Hey what the fuck-!" Hastily the boy was dragged away by Gwen. She didn't need a scene right now. "What gives?! What the fuck do you want?" Spat Max, only to gain an eyeroll from Gwen. "I don't want to do this either, but I'm worried. Any idea what's been up with David?"

As if a switch had been flipped, Max's expression completely morphed. He looked afraid and lost. Like the child he really was. "I... it's about Daniel. He's doing something to David. I don't know what and it's fucking awful. What if he's trying to kill us all, huh?!"

"Daniel-?" Gwen looked bewildered. Where did she know that name...? "Blond guy? Looks like David? He tried to kill us all while you were gone!" Ah, now it clicked. That guy had always creeped her out. "David's dating him?!" "Yep, and he won't listen to reason whatsoever."

That explained alot, actually. However that could never end well, Gwen knew. What should she do? Confronting David might be best-! "Don't. I know that face. He won't talk, he's set. He's too in love to focus on anything else."

Ok, so that was really really bad. Gwen felt sick to her stomach. A manic, murdering cultist had sweet-talked his way into the heart of her best friend. Sure he was annoying, but she didn't want him in that kind of danger!

"If we're done, I'm gonna go back now. Even camp activities are better than talking about this." Turning on his heel, the ravenette walked off. He didn't admit that he was just too scared to talk anymore.

Unfortunately this left Gwen in the dust.   
Like a scattered puzzle, she needed to pick up the pieces and put them together. So she made a decision.

Gwen was gonna split those two up, whatever it took.

David wasn't going out that night, so Gwen was free to take the car. Time to ask some questions to the nosy townsfolk. The rickety car creaked and protested as she started it up, as usual. But she got driving without much incident thankfully.

Deep bass shook the car as she parked in front of Muffin Topz. God, she fucking hated that place so very much. But if she wanted answers then here was the place to look. Before Gwen could step inside, she heard the trunk creak. What?

Slowly she popped it open, only to find... "Max! What the fuck?!" "Shut up!" The boy sat up hastily, scrambling out of the trunk as if afraid Gwen would slam it on him. "What are you doing here?! You need to be back at camp!" Max rolled his eyes and it almost felt like he was mocking her for earlier. Great.

"Well, Gwen, I'm here for the same reason you are. Answers. I don't trust Daniel's intentions, and I wanna find out as much as you do." Gwen opened her mouth to speak, but Max cut her off with a hand. "I can be useful. People trust kids more. Plus, you're not gonna drive me all the way back to camp, are you?" Damn, he had a point. So Gwen just sighed deeply and motioned for him to follow.

Now armed with an adult guide, the boy made his way inside. Most people proved to be useless, with little to no information that wasn't wild speculation. But finally, after two hours, an old woman gave them something useful.

"Oh yes that Daniel! Lovely man, very polite. He bought up the old cottage just out of town. Nobody's touched that place for years. But he planned to renovate it. Wild endeavor if you ask me." A cottage? Out of town? The two shared a look. That couldn't be good. Swallowing hard, Gwen forced a smile. "Thanks." "Of course dear! Say, why did you want to kno-?" But they were already gone.

The cottage wasn't hard to find. After all, there wasn't much outside of town besides the camp. Max made a move to get out, but Gwen stopped him. "Oh no you don't! Not like that!" "What? Why not?!" "Because it could be dangerous. And as much as you drive me nuts, I'm not going to deal with the paperwork if you die."

Max stuck out his tongue. "Don't be a pussy! Nothing's gonna be in there. If it's culty stuff then we'll have proof! We need this." Then he shoved open the door and was out before Gwen could protest.

"Max! Ma- oh for the love of god." The counselor climbed out and followed suit. This kid was gonna be the death of her, she was sure. The two approached the worn old door, Max slowly pushing it open.

The house wasn't empty.

Something red stained the floorboards, and bloody tools of all kinds adorned a metal table that looked almost surgical. If it weren't for the strange symbols carved into it, anyway. On a chair was a body, a man. He seemed to still be breathing.

Max wanted to vomit.

He and Gwen rushed over to the man, equal parts panicked and concerned. "Holy shit! We- we need to get out of here!" Gwen looked at Max's scared face, but shook her head. "We can't leave him here, he'll die!" "Who cares? Call the cops! Let's just go-"

"My my, if I knew I'd be having guests I'd have cleaned up a bit! Everything's such a mess!" The hairs on the back of Max's neck stood straight on end. He knew that voice all too well.

Slowly he turned to see Daniel, eyes wide and tiny body trembling. "You! You did this didn't you? I knew you were a sick freak!" Gwen spat. Though her confidence failed her, letting her voice waver far too much. "Haha! Sick freak? Gwen, that's quite rude."

"S-shut up you fucking cultist! You're finished! When David finds out about this-" "He won't do anything." Daniel gave Max a pitying smile, clicking his tongue. "We'll call the cops then!" Max grasped at straws. He needed something, some leverage. But Daniel had long since won. "We? Oh dear Max! You're assuming Gwen will help you!"

Through the blond's laughter, Gwen and Max looked troubled and confused. What the hell did that mean? The cultist was happy to explain. "Everyone's going to think you're out of your mind, Maxie. Just you wait."

Daniel pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger.

Faster than Max could blink, a tiny dart embedded itself in Gwen's neck and she collapsed. "You have a tranquilizer?!" "Of course Max! It's less messy than choking or drugging, don't you agree?" "No! You fucking monst-!" The blond grabbed his face and towered over him, a cruel grin on his face. "Hush Max, just close your eyes. You need a good, long rest."

The last thing he remembered was a sweet taste in his mouth, then it all went white.


	18. Memories

Max woke to the sun breaking through his tent. Blinking blearily, the boy sat up and looked around. God he had the worst headache... damn. The memories flooded over him in a sudden rush. Daniel, the house, the sweet liquid. Oh god, what had happened?!

Ignoring the pounding agony inside his skull, Max scrambled out of the tent and into the daylight. Nothing was different. Everyone was off to mess hall, not a care in the world. Wildly his eyes darted around until they fell upon Gwen. She seemed dazed, but he didn't care.

"Gwen! Fucking- Gwen! What the hell?!" Roughly he grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the group. "Max! What the fuck do you want?" "What do you mean "what do I want"?! Do you not remember last night?! With Daniel?!"

"Max... I have no clue what you're talking about."

The worst thing in that moment was the sinking pit in his stomach. Like a heavy stone had been dumped in it, his knees went weak. No. No way. "Daniel! Remember? We found his cabin, with the dead body? Gwen come on don't fuck around!" She had to remember she had to!

But again, Gwen shook her head. "I don't have time for your shit Max. Sure Daniel was a bit creepy, but the dude left a while ago and I haven't seen him since."

No matter what he tried, Gwen couldn't remember anything. She just gave him a blank, and frankly quite annoyed stare. Eventually rhe woman got sick of it and waved Max off, heading to the mess hall for a job she despised.

But why? There was no way she'd forgotten so quickly! Trauma like that doesn't just disappear overnight! Somehow, though, it had. That was terrible, seriously it was. Now he'd lost his one reliable ally.

Wait.

That's exactly what Daniel wanted. For Max to be alone, to sound like a lunatic when he tried to tell anyone. Well jokes on Daniel, since Nikki and Neil still knew what was going on. With a grin and renewed enthusiasm, he marched into the mess hall.

Nikki and Neil sat at their usual table. But they looked a bit... blanker, than usual. Neil was tapping a pencil against the wood and Nikki had her face scrunched up in concentration. It was like the girl was trying to grasp something just at the tip of her tongue.

That sinking feeling return to Max as he slid along the bench next to them. "Heya guys!" "Hey Max." They chimed together. He swallowed hard. "So, about the deal with Daniel... I think I may have found something huge! Something that could take him down!"

"Daniel? You mean that weird guy who turned out to be a religious freak or something? What about him?" Neil asked, looking a tab bit bewildered and irritated. "What do you mean "what about him"?! Do you not remember anything?" The sinking pit grew deeper and threatened to swallow Max whole.

His friends shook their heads. "Max, he got poisoned then went off in an ambulance. He's gone. But speaking of remembering..." Neil trailed off, still looking frustrated and confused. "I feel like I've forgotten something. But I don't know what." "Me too! Everyone, actually." Added Nikki. "It's weird."

Alright, now Max was horrified. There was no doubt that Daniel was behind this. But how the hell did he do it? Erasing memories was some scifi shit that shouldn't be possible. Then again, he managed to brainwash a whole camp in a matter of minutes with a sauna that came from god-knows-where.

"Yea that's freaky. I uh- I gotta go!" Max scrambled out of the mess hall, ignoring the worried calls of his friends. He didn't stop until he tripped and skidded into the grass near the woods. Panting and shaking, he slid down against a tree. What the fuck was this? Is this what Daniel meant?

While Max sat there, holding his stinging knee and feeling hopeless, a shadow loomed over him. "Max? Are you okay? I saw you run out of the mess hall!" The ravenette clawed himself upright against the tree, heart beating so fast he could barely tell where one beat ended and the next began.

"Ah! D-david, what the fuck!" "Hey! Watch the language Max. Now what's wrong?" For a moment, the boy wrestled with himself. He could tell David, or keep his mouth shut. Surely... surely David would listen right? He was oblivious and almost stupid sometimes, but he trusted Max! Right? Worth a try.

Taking a deep breath, he began to speak. "It's about Daniel. And I know, I know, I complain about him alot. But he scares me David! What he's doing to you scares me too! You're different. You're angrier and meaner and sometimes it feels like you want to hurt me! What if-" He swallowed. "What if Daniel's doing this to y-"

"That's enough!" David snapped. Instantly, Max shut his mouth. "Again, Max, really? What have you got against Daniel?! He makes me happy! I adore his company! He's not going to hurt any of you, or come close. I'm tired of you constantly trying to turn me against him. What is wrong with you, Max?! I love him! I love Daniel!" The longer he spoke, the wilder David's arm gestures became. His green eyes were wild, cruel, and devoid of any sort of sympathy. Like a wild animal.

Max panicked. He was so, so scared. With a yelp, he turned on his heel and ran for it. For the second time that day, shouts rang after him. And for the second time, he ignored them. Far and away his legs carried him. The light woods became dark, with only soft sunlight dappling against the ground between each towering pine tree.

It should have been beautiful, a momento to how breathtaking nature can be. But to Max it just felt like a million Davids. Standing silently, watching him struggle. Making him feel like he was weak, and easily crushed.

Eventually his lungs couldn't take the torture anymore, and Max collapsed. He curled up on the pine needles, heaving to regain the breath in his chest. Once he could see straight again, Max stumbled to his feet and looked around. He'd been blindly sprinting, and frankly had no idea where he was. Great.

Turning, he started back the way he came. Hopefully that'd get him to camp. Now he had alot of time to think, to reflect. And to over analyze that twig snap he'd just heard.

This was gonna be a long walk back to camp.


	19. Little Monster

Leaves flew away from Max's feet, kicking up helplessly. He understood how that felt. Like a much bigger force was throwing him around, and all he could do was drift along however the breeze carried him. Wow, that was cheesy.

Max laughed to himself. When he wasn't acting annoyed or making snarky commentary, the woods were actually very enjoyable to Max. Not that he'd ever admit that. David would have a fucking field day.

The sun seemed to wane, the forest floor going darker. A chilly wind blew through Max, and he picked up his pace. This was a bad idea. How the fuck was he to get back now? There were animals in the woods! Fuck, he had messed up.

Now quite nervous, the boy's eyes darted around. But everything looked the same. Stern, towering pines, and a murky sea of grass and leaves beneath his shoes. Though the longer he walked, the more the trees thinned. It had taken him almost half an hour, but he broke into a clearing. Hoorah, he was saved! Instantly the surroundings seemed more familiar, and Max knew where he needed to go.

David often came here to chop wood for camp fires. And so, in a moment of perfect stereotypical camp and David fashion, a dull axe stuck in fhe stump of an old tree. Amused, Max went over to the stump and tapped the wooden handle. Sturdy, solid.

Then he heard the growl.

It was a low sound, guttural almost, like something wet in the back of a beast's throat. He could almost feel the drool that slid down it's jowls like rivers. Already that hyperactive mind of his raced. What could it be? A bear? A coyote? A wolf?

But what stepped between the trees was far, far scarier than that. Mostly because Max had never, and had never wanted to see one up close. A mountain lion. A beautiful but powerful wildcat that could knock over his scrawny body like it weighed nothing. Hell, if it wanted all it would need to do is step on Max and his fragile ribs would be crushed. All in all, that was very bad news.

Even worse? It looked hungry. And those wicked eyes were locked onto Max. Holding him pinned with nothing but a stare, the drooling animal slunk closer. And closer. Until Max could smell it's rancid breath and feet the heat, even from a few feet away.

It lowered it's haunches to pounce, and Max needed to think fast. Well, actually, he didn't think at all. Instead he blindly grabbed and ripped out the dulled axe, legs almost buckling with the wild movement. The mountain lion growled and hesitated for a moment. Using that to his advantage, Max swung.

The blade whacked into the animal's ribs with a sickeningly dull thunk, and it stumbled back. Not giving it a chance to recover, Max swung again. The axe was heavy, and he didn't exactly have well placed aim, but it did the job. Again it's blade struck the hapless thing, and this time it stuck.

The mountain lion yeowled in agony, wrenching away from Max. Blood began to coat it's side as it collapsed, snarling and hissing viciously whenever Max stepped close. But somehow, it didn't disgust him. Seeing muscle and bone simply intruiged him, and made him scrunch his brows.

That was real strange.

The last time Max had seen gore, he'd been pretty numb about it. But that was in Mr. Campbell's creepy mansion, and he kinda expected it. But this was different. He'd caused this. And it was graphic.

As if on autopilot, he picked up the axe and raised it again. The mountain lion swung it's claws in a feeble attempt to hold on to life, but it was too late. The sickening crunch of bone could be heard as Max forced the blade into it's breathing neck. A few drops splattered onto his hoodie and face, but he paid no heed.

It wasn't until the creature had stopped twitching that Max snapped back to his senses. With a soft thud the now bloody tool slipped from his fingers and to the grass below. Everything was quiet, too quiet. It grated on his mind and made Max all too aware of his own guilt. An innocent animal, and he'd slaughtered it without a second thought. What... what was wrong with him?!

A twig snapped nearby and Max went into panic mode. He scrambled to gain his bearings and ran towards camp. Already tired legs screamed at him to stop, slow down, take a break. But he didn't listen. Too many thoughts were whirling in his mind for him to hear the pleas of his exhausted body. Until he broke through the treeline and collapsed at someone's feet, shaking and coughing.

Vaugely he was aware of warm arms picking him up and carrying him somewhere. The stress, however, was too much. And Max found himself snuggling into the coziness and starting to drift off. Hey... since when did counselors wear white? Oh well, that didn't matter now. The embrace of sleep had long taken him.

David fussed over Max constantly, rushing around the boy and making sure he was alright. Turns out the mountain lion hadn't quite missed him, and those nasty claws left a gash in Max's arm. Thankfully they got stitched and wrapped up, but the bloodloss had knocked him out cold for a while. Adrenaline probably numbed it, Gwen said.

"Oh gosh! If you hadn't found Max when you did, he could have been in serious trouble. Thank you!" The redhead said, looking at the man across from him with a relieved smile. "Of course Davey! It's no problem, I wouldn't want the kiddo getting hurt either," Replied Daniel, grinning with those pearly whites of his. Gwen didn't like the way he stared at David. It was... hungry. Mischievous.

She didn't trust him.

Not to mention that something tickled in the back of her mind. Something urgent, about Daniel. But what? She pushed it aside. It didn't matter now anyway. "Yea, thanks man. What were you doing there though?"

The blond's neck cracked as he looked to Gwen and she flinched. "I enjoy the woods from time to time as well, Gwen." "R-right." She didn't press the issue. "Well anyway, thank you so much Daniel. Max owes you his life." David said. "Oh David, you're too kind. Just tell me if anything changes. Bye~!" he shook David's hand, gave Gwen a too wide grin, and was gone.

She watched Max rest, thinking about Daniel. Sure she understood the blood on his hoodie from the slash. But why on his face? It was like it had splattered there! What could cause that?

And what did Daniel have to do with it?


	20. Craving

The first thing he noticed was the dryness. Like sandpaper had replaced the spot where his tongue had once been. Max winced, forcing himself to sit up. He seemed to be in a bed he didn't recognize, inside a cabin? What had happened? Agony shot through his arm as he tried to move it, making him painfully aware of the bandage that that restricted him. Suddenly it began to flood back. The mountain lion, the axe, blood seeping out of a fresh animal corpse, teeth in his skin. Fuck.

The boy straightened his back and felt it crack, whining in protest. His mouth was dry, so he lunged for the water bottle on the bedside table as soon as he was aware of it. In about 20 seconds he'd downed the whole thing and wiped his mouth, content. Now, where the fuck was he? It seemed to be... David's cabin. How'd he get here?

A fuzzy memoir pushed it's way to the surface of his dazed brain, making it's presence quite clear with about a million anxiety-inducing alarm bells. White clothes, pale skin, a sterile, hospital kind of smell. A voice that made him shiver despite the heat. No- no way. It couldn't be, it wasn't. What purpose would Daniel have to carry Max to camp? To help him? The mere idea was ludicrous.

Shaking himself off, Max climbed out of the bed. His hoodie was nowhere to be found, so he grumpily stomped out with just a t-shirt on. David was standing and talking to Gwen, fingers nervously tapping on his hip. Max growled. He was tired, hungry, and disoriented. What he needed was answers.

"Hey David! What the fuck happened?" The redhead spun around, heels burying into the soil with the force of his turn. "Max! You're awake! What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting!" "Well I'm not. So what happened?" The ravenette snapped. There was too deep an exhaustion in his bones for him to get too worked up, but the dry sarcasm was every present.

David fiddled with his hands, looking away nervously. "You were attacked by a mountain lion, remember?" Max rolled his eyes. "Yes of course I fucking remember! I mean, who saved me? What happened after I passed out?" Suddenly the boy was being scooped up. His hisses of protest sounded like a kitten, making the nervous man laugh.

"Please Max, you shouldn't be walking yet! You've lost alot of blood, your body is weak." David set the boy down on a bench, kneeling in front of him. "You ran off into the woods, we couldn't find you. It was lucky that Daniel found you when he did, you were a mess!" Max's thoughts, which had been reaching a dangerous crescendo, suddenly halted. Once his brain rebooted, he could only sputter a weak "Daniel?" before needing to reprogram.

"D-daniel... Daniel saved me?" David nodded, smiling annoyingly bright. "Yes! You should really thank him when you can, it's thanks to him that your arm's still intact!" This didn't make sense, at all! How could Daniel have saved him? What was he even doing at the campsite?! It was all too strange... it didn't bode well.

With a fresh sense of dread bubbling inside him, Max hopped off of the bench. "hey! I said sit down Max, you need to be careful." Insisted David sternly. Shit, Max had to get away. An idea popped into his head. It was, frankly, stupid, but David was soft enough that it might work. Well, worth a shot anyway.

Max launched into David's arms, hugging him tight. The counselor yelped in surprise, but hugged back. The smell of wood and pine filled Max's nose, and he felt himself actually relax. "Thanks David, for everything. I'm gonna get some food!" He rushed off to the mess hall, just barely hearing David start to squeal in childish glee, ugh. However his plan was effective in getting him away from David.

Seeing as it wasn't any sort of mealtime, the mess hall was empty. Max helped himself to a pack of crackers that he stuffed into his hoodie pocket, keeping his hands in them to mask the sound of plastic and the visible bulge it made. Slipping out of the back door, he settled behind the building to enjoy his snack in piece. Getting some food in his stomach quieted the rumbling and eased his hunger, so that was good.

As he was stuffing another cracker in his mouth, a pair of perfectly clean, black boots stood in front of him. Slowly he looked up, the food dropping from his fingers as the color drained from his face. Above him stood Daniel, but he was different. The black boots were a good indicator, being totally out of character for the pure white he usually wore. a pair of nice white pants, tucked into the boots, hung lazily on his hips. A black jacket over a grey tank top, and slicked back hair completed the look.

"Well hello there kiddo! Good to see ya back on your feet Maxie~!" He almost purred the words, like a snake sliding along the grass. Max tensed. "What the fuck do you want?" "Tsk! So rude! I just came to check on you, and find David." That made Max angry as he remembered, this was all Daniel's fault. He ruined David, ruined everything! If it weren't for him he'd still have David, wouldn't have ever run off into the woods!

Max stumbled to his feet, legs still a bit unsteady. "Well I'm not telling you where he is! You've fucked him up enough you fucking freak!" For a moment, Daniel's eyes flashed something dangerous and Max flinched. Just as quickly it was gone, replaced with a smile. Max shuddered. "Now now Max! I haven't fucked him up at all! He's always been this way, and it seems you have too." Max's eyes widened.

"Don't fuck around Daniel! What does that mean?" The blonde chortled at Max's fear and outrage. "Keep the language clean Max. I know what you did in the woods, so it'd be best for you to keep your temper." A sharp inhale, and then agonizing silence. With the world Max held his breath, as if it could somehow stop the seconds from ticking by and let him think.

"H...how do you know that?" He finally stuttered, hearing the grass sigh in collective relief as he broke their spell. "I saw you Maxie. I wasn't there by accident. While you weren't what I was looking for, I did follow you. You're quite the brute aint cha?" He purred. Max spat at his feet. "I'm nothing like you."

Again, Daniel's haunting laugh broke the tension into shards, ones that pierced Max's heart with terror. "But you are. I can see it in your eyes, in the way your hands twitch when someone get's too close. It's there, that dark desire. I know it is. You will too, soon enough. We have more in common than you think"

Max snarled, stepping towards Daniel as the blonde stepped back. Ignoring the boys protests and cries, the cultist turned his back and walked away. Defeated, Max slumped against the wall. His hands... itched? While arguing he'd been too angry to noticed but now... well, Daniel was right. The simmering rage made his fingers twitch. Just like how David's did, or how Daniel's neck cracked.

But he wasn't like them- no- he wasn't like Daniel. He couldn't be! Max was good! It was a killing in self defense! But deep down, Max knew that wasn't true at all. He enjoyed taking that animal's life, and he wanted to do it again.

That scared him. It scared him more than anything else could.


	21. Little Devil Darling

There was a sick sense of satisfaction to playing with people's brain, Daniel found. Ever since the first time he'd watched someone's face twist into fear, uncertainty, because of him. It gave him a high like no other. They believed him, trusted him, and he ruined them.

But David was different. No matter how Daniel tried to manipulate this naive, innocent man, he always lost. He couldn't kill David, despite trying twice. And now the cursed redhead had managed to steal Daniel's heart. Something he had thought impossible for the longest time.

Yet here he was, arm wrapped around David's waist, and feeling the soft tickle of David's hair on his shoulder. It disgusted him. What the fuck had happened? Max was so very wrong. Daniel hadn't ruined David...

David had ruined him.

Whichever way he turned the issue, the case persisted. He was wrapped around the counselor's finger, willing to kill for him yes. But also willing to die for him. Love, what a shameful and vile thing. And Daniel loved every cursed, agonizing second of it.

The pair was sitting out by the lake, legs dangling over the edge of the dock, intertwined. It was so peaceful, so calm. Ironic considering both were very unstable indeed. Daniel knew that now. They could have stayed like that forever, if it hadn't been for one teensy little interruption.

"There you are! You fucker, we weren't finished!" Daniel let out an annoyed huff, turning to the source of the irritation. Max, of fucking course. Could this boy not keep his nose out of Daniel's business? Apparently not, as the scruffy ravenette snarled up at the cultist. Like a little wolf, he thought in amusement.

"Max? What are you doing?! You shouldn't be running around yet! Oh gosh you're so pale! What were you thinking?" Ever the parent, David rushed to Max and started fussing over him. It didn't pass Daniel's attention how afraid Max looked, as if he was trying not to flinch away from the touch. So the boy was scared of David? But why?

Then he remembered. The way David's fingers always twitched, how his eyes were colder, the way he was so quick to anger now. Antsy, twitchy, angry. Observant Maxie of course picked up on it! His precious counselor was changing into something new. Daniel smirked, lips curling like a cat that had spotted a mouse.

"I'm fine David! But you need to get the fuck away from Daniel!" Max was shaking, with rage or fear he did not know. David looked shocked. "What are you talking about Max?! You need to calm down, you're panicking." Again he moved towards Max, but the boy stumbled back with barely contained terror.

David flinched. He'd never seen Max so afraid before, and he didn't like it. Gingerly the redhead knelt down, putting a hand on the shivering boy's shoulder. "Max, please, take a deep breath. Nothing you're saying makes sense." Though it looked like the camper was going to lose his kind, he obeyed and took a deep gulp of air.

"Now that you've calmed down, what's wrong?" Asked the counselor, ever friendly. It was now or never. Wearily, Max cast a glance at Daniel, who gave him a dangerous look. "I know w-what Daniel does, you need to call the fucking cops David!" Both men went very pale. "Wh- What does that mean, Max?"

"It means Daniel kills people, David! He tried to kill us all when he came to camp and he has no intentions of stopping! H-he must have brainwashed you or something but he's a fucking cultist! And he's gonna kill you too!" Daniel let out and audible growl, stepping towards Max. Maybe that outburst had been a bad idea... uh oh, Daniel was smiling. That had definitely been a bad idea.

"Now Maxwell, don't you know it's incredibly rude to make such assumptions about people?" His voice was sickly sweet as he approached. But thankfully, David was there before Daniel could try anything. He scooped Max into his arms and gave Daniel a look that halted the blond in his tracks. "It seems like we have a lot to talk about. Maybe it'd be best if we all went somewhere private, okay?" Neither boy had the guts to argue, and so off they went.

Why was David so calm? He'd literally just been told that his boyfriend was a murderer and here he was, casually taking the group to his cabin like it was no big deal. Max had the sinking feeling that he was about to have some very unpleasant revelations about his happy-go-lucky counselor.

David kicked the cabin door shut behind himself and set Max down. The boy was settled into a chair obviously meant for someone of David's size. The counselor took a seat behind his desk and Daniel pulled up another wooden chair from somewhere, Max wasn't sure. An awkward silence followed the final screech of wood, and Max began to shift nervously. After all, he was still weak and all the panic was starting to make him dizzy.

Finally, David broke the crushing silence. "So, Max. Care to explain?" The ravenette blinked, dazed and a bit confused. "What?" He asked stupidly. "Explain. Why did you make those accusations against Daniel?"

Thrown off by David's calm attitude, Max couldn't come up with an excuse or lie. So he fessed up. "Nikki, Neil, and I all followed you into town and found out you were dating Daniel. T-then we found that body in the lake! Then Gwen and I investigated and saw Daniel-!" He stopped, swallowing hard. "T-torturing someone. Then he made me drink something a-and I passed out. But everyone forgot all of it! He's dangerous! He probably dumped that body in the lake and wants to do the same to you!"

David looked mildly surprised, and a bit nervous. But not the shock or disgust or anger Max expected. The blond clicked his tongue, giving Max a sharp look. "I didn't put the body in the lake." "Well who else could have?!" Max spat, infuriated. David raised a calming hand, but was starting to look more disconcerted. "You followed Daniel?"

"Yes! And we saw him kill someone!" David raised his eyebrows at Daniel, who merely shrugged. Max began to grow suspicious. "Wait, why are you so relaxed about this? Shouldn't you be- like- freaking the fuck out?" The conselor shook his head, almost sadly. Max felt his anxiety began to bubble up. Why did he have a bad feeling about this?

David gently set a hand on his knee, green eyes full of sympathy and sadness. But so, so empty. "Max, I think I have a confession to make."


	22. The Truth is Hideous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max finds out something he never wanted to know

Max blinked. Max blinked again, then stared at David blankly. A confession? What kind of confession could he possibly want to make? A dread was settling into the pit of Max's stomach as he watched the redhead's face. It was both resigned, and cold.

"Daniel didn't put that body in the lake. And he's not going to kill me. I already know about the things he does, I've known for a week or two now. About as long as we've been dating." David explained, patiently. He didn't look remorseful, but rather relieved that he'd finally gotten it off of his chest.

The ravenette stared. Not blankly, but in horror. David... knew? "W-wait-" he stuttered, "if Daniel didn't put the body in the l-lake... who did?" Now David let out a heavy sigh, as if contemplating something, and the dawning horror was almost too much for poor Max to bear. "Did..." he swallowed, "did you put that body in the lake, David?"

Suddenly there was a gentle hand placed on his shoulder. He looked up to see David, giving him a sorrowful glance. Max knew the answer to that question. The logical part of him wanted to run, scream and run and never look back. But he didn't, and that was the strangest part. 

"Why?" David shifted to face him, head tilted. "Why what?" The way the sun hit his face made him look almost angelic, pure. Like the soft rays were showing the nicest parts of him. But apparently that had been far from the case. David had killed a person, maybe more! "Why did you kill them?"

"Ah.. I see." A soft creaking momentarily filled the cabin as Max moved too. Further along the bed, and scooting a bit closer to the door. Daniel didn't speak, but gave him a warning look. "Sh-  _They_ , were threatening the camp. Told me they were going to kill you. I couldn't let that happen, Max. I just couldn't." 

It was a justification, and Max clung to it for dear life. Even one tiny thing that could make this all okay was enough for him. However, it was merely a bandaid over a broken arm. David had still killed someone, and was knowingly dating a serial killer to boot. And what was to be done about that? 

"What if I tell someone? Call the cops?" Asked the boy. It sounded numb, shocked and apathetic to the situation. Daniel growled and rose slightly from his seat. "You won't like the result." David gave him a stern glare, but it did little to calm the bristling man. 

Finally, Max's emotions seemed to return. "O-Oh.." Rolling his lip between his lips, Max thought carefully about the situation. If he lost his cool in a room with two murderers, he was fucked. If he tried to run, he was fucked. So what did that leave him with?

"Gh- fine! I won't tell anyone, I swear. I don't wanna know what that threat means." David nodded, albeit somberly. "I didn't want you to find out-" "Well I fucking did David! You're a killer! The one guy I thought I could t-trust and-" Max felt his throat close, both with fear and tears. "I gotta go." Hastily he got off the bed, running out of the door. "Hey-!" "Get back here!" The two men called after him, but Max ignored them.

Stumbling feet kicked up dirt and rocks behind him. Somehow Max managed to make it back to his tent through the haze of anxiety and rage. Poor Mr. Honeynuts was instantly crushed in his tight hold, the poor kid curled up in a corner and staring blankly at a wall.

But apathy wasn't going to get him anywhere, he knew that. Max needed to make a plan, and fast. Right now he was still operating under the theory that Daniel was somehow brainwashing David since they'd met. Or at least preying upon his good nature to make him do terrible things.

Max grabbed paper and pencil, then got right to work. It was the best way to keep back anxiety and repress whatever other awful feelings he did not want to examine right now. If Daniel was really manipulating David, Max needed evidence. He needed enough proof to get Daniel jailed and away from the redhead.

Momentarily he considered asking Nikki and Neil for help, but their memories were nearly gone entirely, so that was out. For now Max would be on his own. And if things got out of hand, his friends would not be in danger. 

The only issue was that Max had absolutely no idea of where to start. What did he even do? How did he go about gathering evidence? All this was frustrating him beyond belief! With a loud groan he crumpled the paper and stormed out of his tent. Everything had been so high strung lately, and it was starting to drive Max absolutely up the fucking wall.

After what felt like ages of pacing and grumbling, Max resigned himself to a late and awkward dinner. Might as well, seeing as his stomach was begging for food. The chatter didn't even falter as he entered and took a seat, but Max saw David shoot a glance his way. He narrowed his eyes. There was a deer-in-headlights look about the counselor. Weird... oh well, Max shook it off for now.

Not even twenty minutes into his dinner, and David's behavior once again caught his eye. Now he was fidgeting, glaring at the table and shredding the napkin in his hands. Suddenly he got up and rushed out, giving a nonchalant goodbye to Gwen, who looked stunned. Ok, that was  _too_  weird. 

Max hesitated, memories of the last time he'd stalked David running through his head. Not to mention that judging by how on edge he was, Max might see something he didn't want to. But the sickening curiosity and desire to get to the bottom of this pushed him on. 

The tray scraped as the boy pushed it away, excused himself, and followed David out the door. 


	23. A Change of Thought

Max stayed a little ways behind David, making sure that the redhead couldn't see him. At least, he hoped David couldn't see him. It was hard to tell, what with focusing on not getting caught and keeping David in his sights. How was this man so good at keeping hidden? It was downright enraging!

 

Desperately Max weaved through the underbrush, clumsily following David's elegant, purposful gait. Naturally, as the universe hated him, Max lost David within 20 minutes. Great. He looked around, worried about all the ruckus he was causing but even more worried about David on the loose. Who knows what that man could do unsupervised? Max shuddered.

 

Evidently the gods were merciful today, as Max found David's trail again, and followed it. Following the footprints took Max to a small clearing with an overhanging rock. A little space.

 

A place to hide.

 

Max knew all about those.

 

David appeared to be sitting there, holding a large skull in his hands. It wasn't human (thank god) but it was some sort of animal. Maybe a coyote? Max wasn't sure. Whatever it was, David seemed to be cradling it. Almost like... it was a child? That was kinda weird.

 

"It's a wolf skull." Max nearly launched out of the bush at the sound of David's voice, but forced himself to stay still. "I know you're there Maxwell, come out." Shit, he'd blown his cover. Tentatively he stepped out, shuffling when David beckoned him closer. He didn't stop until Max was sitting on the log next to him, looking into the empty sockets of those sun-bleached bones. Max understood that, being washed out.

 

"I killed it, when I was a kid." Admitted David, grip tightening on the skull. "I was so scared that it was going to eat me first. I just... lost it. And I don't think I ever found it either." The chuckle that followed this was dry, devoid of David's usual cheer. Max... didn't like it. "You wanna know the worst part?" Max did not, but nodded anyway. "I liked it. I really, truly, liked it."

 

Max shivered, and pulled his knees closer. "I..." there was a long pause, "I understand that." David looked over at him, brow furrowing as he sighed. "With the mountain lion right?" "How did y-" "Daniel told me all about your little escapade. Honestly I'm just glad you survived. Montain lions are no joke Max." "No," agreed Max, "they're not."

 

Now their conversation fell into silence. Not uncomfortable, but heavy. Silence was always bad, because it let Max's mind wander all sorts of dark places. Maybe he and David weren't that wildly different, not a heart. It was a weird thought sure, but it made sense. Especially after he'd learned about the whole wolf thing.

 

In the end, David broke the silence. "What do you mean you understand?" Max suddenly missed the stillness. "I..." the words seemed to shrivel up in this throat, but he pushed them out anyway, "I enjoyed it too, with the mountain lion. I d-didn't want to, but it just gave me a rush, you know?"

 

David hesitated for a moment. The gears in his mind turning. Slowly, he set the skull down and embraced Max. He didn’t pull away. “Guess we’re both pretty fucked up huh?” “Language Max. But... yea, we are.” The two of them shared a weak laugh, Max still in his arms. It was oddly comforting to have someone hold him this way, and he was in no hurry to end it.

 

For as terrified as he’d been of David, Max realized that the man wasn’t all horrible. Not like Daniel. They were both fucked up sure, but David did care. And so did Max. Somewhere inside himself. After what felt like an eternity David pulled away, leaving Max feeling cold.

 

“Come on champ, we should be getting back to camp,” said David, standing up from the log. “Huh? Oh! Y-yea- right,” Max followed suit, letting David lead him back to the campsite. Daniel was waiting for them when they did.

 

A wave of nausea swept over Max as he saw the man, and he went cold. The man was leaning effortlessly against the mess hall, looking over with an almost bored expression. If it wasn’t for the tightness of his jaw, or how his fingers were twitching, Max might have believed he was relaxed.

 

“Ah! My darling, you’re back!” Chirped Daniel all too cheerily. David glanced back towards Max, then turned to Daniel once more. “Can we talk? Really fast?” This caught the blond off guard, but he nodded and followed David. Max strained his ears to listen, but only caught snippets like “terrify” and “try to make an effort”, giving him precisely zero clues as to what that was about.

 

Once the conversation ended, David and Daniel returned to Max, who was still awkwardly standing there. “Sorry about that Max. Daniel’s just heading out.” He gave Max a warm smile, and Max glowered over his shoulder at that smiling monster of a cultist. Honestly, what did David see in him?! “Okay.” Max finally choked out.

 

Daniel sneered behind David’s back, baring teeth. Then seemed to melt into a romantic sweetheart when David faced him. The two shared a chaste kiss (and Max gagged) before Daniel went on his merry way. Only then did the overwhelming pressure in Max’s stomach seem to lift somewhat. As the car motor faded entirely, Max finally eased.

 

“Come on Max you’ll be late for activities.” With a gentle touch (that max didn’t shake off), David lead him to the other kids. Nikki and Neil gave him weird looks, but didn’t ask any questions. Max was grateful for that at least. It had been such a long day, and he didn’t want to deal with them constantly chirping in his ears.

 

At dinner, David invited Max to sit by him alone. Max accepted. It was a bit of an awkward silence, than fell into a relaxed one. Both could agree that the food was terrible when the Quartermaster couldn’t hear them. It was kinda nice honestly. Maybe... maybe David wasn’t as bad as Max thought. He’d certainly met worse.

 

As the cool night air waved through his tent, Max couldn’t help but sigh. Everything was complicated; everything was terrifying right now. But maybe David could prove to be a good ally, Max just had to make sure that he stayed on his good side. And maybe... confess some things he’d been keeping inside.

 

Now was not the time though, and the boy rolled over peacefully, eyes fluttering shut as sleep dragged him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I wait until the new episode was released to post this? Yea. Do i regret it? Nah. I’ll be trying to keep more consistent updates now that the show is back. This book will have 30 chapters tops, plus maybe a spicy epilogue if ya really want it. So look out for that! ;)


	24. Let’s Be Friends?

Everyone noticed it. 

Nobody wanted to say anything, but they all noticed. How Max seemed to be spending much more time with David, how the two were much closer before. Max even let David put an arm around him! Hug him! Nobody else got to do that, ever. What had changed? Naturally, nobody was aware of the little chat they had shared. And the new appreciation for eachother that had been born of it. 

Daniel noticed it too. David was talking more frequently about Max, and mentioning him in many more stories. Like the kid was his own or something. That could prove problematic. If Max snitched on some of the things Daniel had done, he could ruin the relationship he'd built with David. That could not happen. So what should he do? 

Max was sitting on a log, kicking his legs. The sun seemed to burn into his skull mercilessly. However, Max didn't take off his hoodie despite the heat. It was a comfort to him, in many ways. The leaves crunched as someone approached. Thinking it was David, Max stood to greet him. Instead, a too wide smile with rows of white teeth grinned back. Daniel. 

The boy’s face twisted into contempt, eyes narrowing. “What do you want?” He snarled, already stepping back. This could not be good news, especially not when Daniel gave him such a dark smile. 

“Hey hey relax kiddo! I’m not here to start a fight.” The cultist’s hands were up in the air as if surrendering, but Max found that it didn’t make him less threatening. “I have a feeling our interests are quite similar at the moment, Max. I just wanted to talk.” 

“Talk my ass! You don’t ever wanna “talk”. Plus, after you pulled that mind erasing trick I don’t exactly fucking trust you!” Spat the boy. “Well you hardly trusted me to begin with, so what’s really changed?” Well, he had a point there. 

Max set his jaw firmly, eyes steely. “Fine, what do you want? Make it fast.” He sat on the log again, flinching when Daniel sat down next to him. Honestly, he doubted they had conflicting interests. But Max was weary of that silver tongue. 

“It’s about David. I’ve noticed you two getting closer. You care about him, alot. Well... so do I.” Max doubted this, but nodded along. “But David... he isn’t stable you see. The poor thing’s always pretty close to just snapping, though he does hide it well. Because of this, I believe we should... work together, in a way. Interested?” 

Max blinked. During the course of the conversation, he noticed he’d been leaning in closer, genuinely listening to Daniel’s words. It did seem rather interesting. “Okay, I’ll bite, what do you mean?” 

Daniel grinned like a hungry shark, then faded back into carefully neutral. “Well we’ve been antagonizing one another quite a lot-“ “no shit” snorted Max, “-and while that’s all fine and good, it can’t go on. If I hurt you, David will go berserk and most likely kill me. If you try- and I say that lightly- to hurt me or get rid of me, chances are the results will be the same for you.” Explained Daniel, unphased by Max’s Blase attitude. 

“David hangs in a delicate balance between us. As much as you or I hate it, we’re both his family, in a way. And we need to play that part. For his sake. Are you in or not?” The man regarded Max carefully, face almost blank except for the flicker of agitation in those blue eyes. 

Max paused. If what Daniel was saying was true, then that meant they were both at risk. The more Max thought about it, the madder he got. Daniel had managed to twist both him and David, getting them caught in a fragile sort of web. The man wasn’t lying, which was worse. He’d made David so unstable that if Max tried to alter even one aspect of his life, the man would completely break down. And yet Daniel seemed to genuinely love the man he’d manipulated so carefully. That fact alone made his face redden with anger. 

“You bastard.” Hissed Max. Daniel’s face remained calm, but he was clearly rather smug. “Well, do we have a deal or not? Pretend to be happy for David’s sake, then at the end of the summer you never have to see this camp again. No deaths, no mental breakdowns. Sound good?” His mouth twitched, curling into a tiny smile. 

Max was trapped. For once in his life, he saw no wormholes to wriggle through. He could always run, leave David behind. But that would leave him completely to Daniel, and nobody deserved that fate. What else could he do? The boy held out his hand, staring at Daniel with no small amount of hatred. “Deal.” The blonde shook his hand, and Max got the acute feeling that he’d just sold his soul to the devil. Looking at Daniel, the description wasn’t far off. 

“Pleasure doing business with you, Max. So, shall we discuss how best to approach this? After all, we’re family now.” 

 

Gwen sat at her desk, mindlessly watching her show play. Her eyes were unfocused, mind racing everywhere else but the blaring noise. For days now she’d been having the same dream. Of Daniel, and Max. She could hear the thud as his little body hit the floor, and watched hazily as Daniel picked him up and walked away. But what did it mean? 

It felt like a huge piece was missing. Someone had taken a chunk of her brain and just tossed it away, leaving her scrambling to fill the gaping hole. What did it mean? What was she forgetting? Gwen had once read that memories are never erased, just swept under the rug of the mind. Repressed. That the mind can be conditioned into fabricating memories, and removing them. 

But that was ridiculous! This wasn’t science fiction. Maybe she just needed some coffee. Yea, that was it. Gwen stood up, shuffling over to the little machine to brew it up. She sipped the warm drink, blissfully unaware of the man in the woods, slowly tying the last strings around his little puppet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter so soon? Yea it’s cause the boys r callin to me


	25. Suspicious Activity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear...

David wasn't really sure what had changed. It was like a switch had been completely flipped! Just a week ago, Daniel and Max seemed to despise each other, and Max was a panicked wreck. Now the two were getting along like peanut butter and jelly! Well, by Max standards anyway. The boy was still snarky and sharp witted, but he didn't seem to antagonize Daniel so much anymore. It was strange yes, but who was David to complain? He was just happy that they were getting along.

The counselor bounced happily out of his cabin, seeing Gwen chugging coffee and hearing something like 'I'm gonna ducking shill my shelf'. Just Gwen being Gwen! He pushed open the mess hall doors, smiling widely at the campers all sitting there. Max waved weakly, giving what could pass for a smile, but was more of a pained grimace. He'd take what he could get. Ever since Max and Daniel had started liking (tolerating was more accurate, but David liked to be optimistic) each other, his own mental health had gotten so much better! Soon, he knew he'd be back to his chipper self! 

Gwen joined him soon after he sat down, looking exhausted and deeply troubled. David frowned. "You don't look so hot Gwen, is something wrong? Oh no! Did you get sick from the expired coffee again?" "I told you David, there was rat poison in that coffee! And no- I'm not sick. I just-" she paused, rubbing her head and groaning, "I can't help but feel like I've forgotten something, something super important. It's driving me fucking crazy!" Her head landed with a dull thump on the table, and David patted her back sympathetically. "I'm sorry Gwen. But look on the bright side! Maybe something will happen to trigger that memory, and it'll all come flooding back!" Gwen didn't look like she believed him, but appreciated it anyway. "Thanks David." Before he couple reply, she was already shuffling away. Oh well, he was sure it was fine.

After breakfast, David gave the campers some time off. The sun was ridiculously hot and there wasn't much of camp left. The thought made David sad, as it did every year. Once camp was over for the year David had to leave, return to his home and wait anxiously until the next summer. And he rarely saw the kids again the second year around. It made him unhappy to think about, so he didn't. Instead, David pulled out his phone and texted his favorite guy!

'Hey Daniel! How are you?' 

'David! Hey! I'm doing just fine. In fact, I have a question to ask you!'

David's eyebrows raised, and he tilted his head to the side. oh? 

'Really? Well go right on ahead! what's your question?' 

'Do you think that the three of us, you me and max, could maybe go into town together?" 

'I'd love that! But how would we do it? I still have a camp to run, after all!' 

'Well that's true, but you can take Saturday off can't you? Just put Gwen in charge! come on, it'll be fun! and I'm sure Max will appreciate it.'

Oh that sly fox! David only hesitated a moment before responding. What could it hurt? It was just a short day trip after all! 

'mmm okay. I'll do it. this Saturday then?' 

'Yep! I'll see you then Davey, bye bye <3' 

David's heart fluttered, and he held the phone close to his chest for a moment. Gosh, even the simple things Daniel did could make his cheeks red. He really had it bad. Who could blame him? Daniel was just so smooth and charming! The redhead stuffed his phone in his pocket, mood already significantly better than before. Talking to a loved one was always good for him, he reminded himself. Now back to as chipper as ever, David spun on his heels and marched into the counselors cabin to talk to Gwen. 

It took a little (a lot) of convincing, but she eventually agreed to let David have Saturday off if it meant he would bring her some fresh coffee from down and a handful of magazines. Gwen wasn't hard to bribe, it seemed. David entertained the idea of going out and telling Max now, but decided to keep it a surprise. This way he wouldn't also accidentally tell the other kids, and then subsequently make them jealous. He'd seen how brutal the campers could be, and wanted to avoid any more unnecessary violence. David still shuddered to remember the bus that had hit him. 

Daniel leaned back in his chair, lazily twirling his knife. He could feel the blood still soaking his shirt, and knew it would be a bitch to clean. How unfortunate. However, sacrifices were necessary to keep the faith. He could deal with a few stains. White clothes bleached easily enough anyway. The blonde let out a sigh and got up. David was offline anyway, so there was no need to keep sitting around. Absentmindedly Daniel glanced at the corpse on the floor. The woman's body was bare, and mutilated beyond recognition. She had put up a decent fight, he had to admit. But it didn't matter in the end. He'd done what was needed to please his god. 

Daniel methodically cut up the body, making sure to put the pieces into a paper bag. The creaky cabin door shut behind him as he walked towards the edge of the forest, already hearing the hungry growls. He tossed her towards the snarling, waiting a few minutes in between. Convenient to get rid of bodies, when there are wolves in the woods. Once the bag was empty, Daniel crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. He needed to head into town and buy some nice clothes, as well as get his knives sharpened. Big things were happening Saturday, he needed to be aptly prepared. Max needed to trust him for that to work. 

Normally this would be a very difficult task for Daniel, but now he wasn't worried. He'd seen how wild Max's eyes were. How he slaughtered a creature damn near twice his size with no remorse. It might take a little bit of convincing, But Daniel knew he could play into it. Seems Max and David weren't too different after all. The cultist slipped on a black jacket, chuckling. 

It was almost too easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a month long hiatus and I am sO sorry!!!! But i updated now, r u proud?


	26. Bloodstains and Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MAX NO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for the word r*pe and brief mentions of sexual assault

"What."

Max stared up at David incredulously, watching as the man almost nervously scanned the empty area. "You can't tell the other kids Max, but I'm taking you into town with me. Daniel wanted us all to bond a little more!" David's smile was blindingly bright, it made Max almost guilty for lying to him. Almost. "Why should I even agree to that?" Challenged Max, in his petulant way. David let out a huff. "We're going out for ice cream." 

If Max had any shame, he'd admit he was convinced a little too easily, but it was for ice cream! Who could blame a 10 year old stuck in summer camp for desperately wanting ice cream? 10 minutes later, Max was sitting in the back of the car, watching the scenery pass by in a blur as they neared what barely qualified as a town. Daniel was already waiting in front of the small shop, an eerie grin on his face. Max swallowed nervously. Was ice cream really worth being with this monster? 

David parked quickly, hopping out of the car and barely waiting for Max before he rushed up to Daniel. The blonde smiled, kissing David's cheek. Max gagged. They'd only been properly dating for what- two weeks? But David was already ridiculously attached. It was kind of worrying, if he was honest. "Hello Davey, Max." Those blue eyes fixed on him, and hot shivers ran down Max's spine. He felt feverish, full of adrenaline and a panic he didn't understand. "H-hey." He stuttered, forgetting himself for a second. "Well- are we gonna fuckin' go inside?" David frowned until Daniel replied smoothly. "Of course Max, let's go!" The cultist turned, sauntering into the shop with David at his hips, though he glanced back and gave Max an unsettling smile. What was he planning?

The four of them seemed the only ones in the shop, much to Max's dismay. David got a pistachio ice cream, and Max a classic chocolate. Daniel got raspberry, and Max noticed how blood red the ice cream was. Though that was probably just his mind working in overdrive to analyze Daniel- right? Upon David's request they sat near the window. With the redhead distracted Daniel turned to Max. He swallowed. "So Max, how is your ice cream?" Purred the cultist. "Fine." Was the sharp reply. He did  _not_ want to have a conversation with this creep. "Well that's good, I'm glad you enjoy it, anyhow. I have a little surprise for you two after this. I'm sure you'll quite enjoy." Wow, that wasn't terrifying at all. Max almost snorted at how obviously ominous it was, but he was a little too on edge. "Oh yea?" Was all he said. "Indeed."

They all fell into a tense, but blissful silence. Max's mind buzzed with all the possibilities. What the fuck did Daniel mean by surprise? To his own horror, Max was genuinely curious. Logically he should be trying to get the fuck away, but he just ate his ice cream. It was like his body was on autopilot. Daniel waited patiently until they were both done, placing a hand on Max's back as he guided them both out. And Max let it all happen, for the sake of a morbid sense of curiosity. 

"What's this about a surprise, Daniel?" Asked David, curious. Daniel chuckled darkly. "Don't worry David, you'll see." He kissed the redhead, who instantly relaxed. "Well okay, I trust you!" "Horrible decision really." Max muttered bitterly. "What was that Max?" "N-nothing!" They all piled into Daniel's car, with the cultist promising to drive them back to get David's car after the "surprise".  Max had never hated a word more in his life. Not that he voiced this, he just stared blankly out of the window. 

He should have run the second the car stopped in front of an old, rotting shack. Yet Max still followed them, eyes wide. "Why are we here?" "You'll see!" Daniel chirped gleefully. Any protests Max thought (hoped) David might have were crushed when Daniel kissed him again, murmuring something into the counselor's ear that made his posture perk with excitement. Fuck. Daniel pushed Max in first, then David. He heard a key click in the lock, and they were ushered on into the main room. 

It was the only part of the house that wasn't it utter disrepair. The boards had been replaced, painted a crisp white. The walls were still brick, though meticulously scrubbed clean. White candles lit the room, as well as an overhead light that must have been powered by some sort of emergency generator. On the hooks hung all sorts of creepy things. Chains, sickles, knives, and a bloody axe that caused Max's heart to leap into his throat. The scariest part about the room, however, wasn't any of those things. No- it was the blood red symbol painted into the floor, underneath a chair. In the chair sat a man. He was tied up, blood dripping from his nose onto his brown pants. His skin was deathly pale, probably from fear, and his dull grey eyes were darting around in fear. Matted black hair clung to his sweaty face. 

David tilted his head, casting a concerned glance at Max. "Daniel... What's going on?" The cultist ran forwards excitedly, hands outstretched like a mockery of a game show host. His smile was sickening. "Your surprise! See- ever since I saw Max kill that mountain lion-" "He  _what_ -" "Not important!" Daniel waved David off, still smiling at Max.  "I knew David! He's like us! He just needs to find it!" Max was starting to feel sick, watching that poor man tremble in fear. "Explain." David said, hands on Max's shoulders. He wished it was comforting. "Max-" Daniel paused for dramatic effect here, grabbing the man's face- Max finally saw the gag. "Is going to kill this man right here! And he's going to enjoy it!" 

Max really felt like throwing up now. "W-what?" He stuttered the word, barely trusting himself to speak. "Wh- why the fuck do you think I'd agree to that- you fucking psycho!" "Relax relax, he's not an innocent. I went to the trouble of finding a criminal and everything! He's a murder and serial rapist, originally arrested for the abuse and sexual assault of his own little boy." David looked horrified, though not for the right reasons. "His own boy?" "Yes!" Daniel seemed feverish now. He grabbed Max's hand, shoving a knife into it. "Come on! Kill him." "What?! NO!" Max tried to pull away, but Daniel guided him towards the shaking man. "Do it. Max, I know you loved the feeling of blood on your hands, the feeling of flesh giving underneath that axe. You can do it. And he deserves it, don't you think?" David was standing on Max's left, silent. Daniel held Max's hand steady, standing solidly behind him. 

Those dull grey eyes looked up at Max, and he saw no remorse in them. How must his kid have felt? Getting beaten- screamed at-  _raped_. All while those flinty eyes shone with- with what? Malice? Glee? All those people he hurt- assaulted. Max's vision began to go red. The sick bastard couldn't even feel a hint of sadness- not even when he was about to fucking die?! How could someone care so little about what he'd done?! Max snarled. The blade plunged right into the man's chest, between the third and fourth ribs, and he went limp. 

"That was beautiful." Daniel purred. 

 

The blood dripped steadily from Max's hands. 

 


	27. Pulling Back the Curtains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen has a hole in her head and Max let’s go of a thread

Gwen was getting really frustrated. What started as a nagging feeling was quickly becoming a serious issue. This hole in her memory seemed to be getting bigger and bigger, with no relief in sight. But what had she forgotten, and why was it so urgent? She started to pace back and forth. Sometimes people could get their memories back by going to the place where the memories came from. The only issue was, she didn't know where to go, exactly. This gap was starting to drive Gwen nuts. Whatever, she'd focus on that once she had those little nightmares called children busy with an activity. As she stepped outside, Gwen saw David's car pulling up. David and Max stepped out, but something was wrong. She narrowed her eyes, going closer.

Max looked deeply shaken up, trembling and holding his hands close to his chest. David had one hand on his back, and was murmuring softly to him, telling him that everything was alright and that he was safe. At least, that's what Gwen could read from David's moving lips. "Yo. What happened?" Gwen asked, going up to the two. "Nothing!" Max snapped, but his scared expression dulled the anger. "Just David's stupid driving." The redhead shrugged sheepishly. "The other driver came really fast. But we didn't crash!" "I see that." Replied Gwen, looking deadpan. The two hastily shuffled off. Somehow, Gwen didn't believe a word either of them said. Something wasn't adding up, and the both of them had been acting incredibly strange as of late. This was only piling up more questions than there were answers, and Gwen was sick of it. She was going to figure out the truth, no matter what.

What were they hiding? It wasn't like Max or David would lie about getting ice cream, or something stupid like that. If those two were working together, something was wrong. And Gwen could bet it was related to that huge gap in her memory. Knowing was one thing, actually proving it was another. For as bird-brained as David presented himself as, he was actually very good at avoiding things when he wanted to. He could easily disappear and Gwen wouldn't see him the whole day, even though campers insisted he'd just been there. It was annoying as hell. Cornering him was damn near impossible, and Gwen hated when things required effort. After a week of this, Gwen realized she didn't have a choice. She had to go to Max. Great, just fantastic. That little shit hated her for sure, and he wasn't Gwen's favorite camper, per say. Though all the kids gave her a headache, so that wasn't saying much. With a sigh of deep reluctance, Gwen headed towards Max's tent.

The boy seemed to jolt when Gwen pushed aside the tent flap, hastily shoving something underneath his pillow. Mr. Honeynuts maybe? Gwen only felt a little guilty for making fun of him for it. "Hey Max." "What do you want?" Snapped Max, sounding hasty. That was... odd, to say the least. "I'm gonna regret saying this, but I'm worried about David. You and him have been acting super fucking weird ever since Daniel found you in the woods. And it's been getting even weirder every day. Did something happen?" Max seemed to mull this over, fiddling with the bedsheets and sighing. "Gwen, how long ago was that?" Okay, unexpected but not super odd. "Uhm like... four days ago?" Max began to fiddle even more with the sheets, deeply conflicted. A cold shiver of worry slid down Gwen's back. "Gwen that was five days ago." "Huh? No way, I remember it being four." "Daniel found me on Tuesday, right? What happened Monday?" He was looking at Gwen intensely, anxiously. Deft fingers had torn a hole in the sheets, and it was widening steadily. "I... I..." The harder Gwen thought about it, the more her head ached. Everything was fuzzy, blurry like a painting in water. "I don't know." It was like an egg had been cracked on her head, sending freezing chills down her whole body despite the sticky heat. Max seemed almost hopeful, in a way. 

"I have to go, right now." Gwen felt a deep sense of dread, and she didn't know why. But she had to get out of here, now. Two tiny hands grabbed her wrists. Max, of course. "No! You can't! Listen, think about it. You can't remember Monday, nobody in camp can! Now why would that be? Someone messed with our minds Gwen!" The words made perfect sense, but they felt so wrong. As if accepting this notion would make her sick. "You're fucking nuts Max. Whatever happened to you made you even crazier than before." Gwen roughly tugged her wrists free and hurried away. Max didn't try to stop her. She could hear a small thud as she walked away. That was the least of her concerns though. Her feet carried her into the counselor's office and straight to the coffee machine, with a steaming cup already waiting for her. As she drank it, her headache seemed to fade, so she drank more and more until her mug was empty and then she refilled. Her brain felt pleasantly fuzzy, and she decided to take a nap. 

Max kneeled on the floor, watching his last hope go. Whatever Daniel had done to Gwen, it was serious. At even the idea of the truth, she completely flipped out. She'd been his last hope and now- well, now he had nothing. Nothing but David who was completely until Daniel's thumb and the blond Devil himself. Of all the thoughts to have, Max had to admit it he was a bit impressed. Daniel had managed to put everything under his control. He broke through their ceiling and then convinced them they'd never had one to begin with. Max gently lifted his pillow, pulling out the bloody knife from under it. The same knife Daniel made him kill someone with. Granted, he'd been a horrible person, but a person nonetheless. There was no forgetting that squelch, or the give of squishy fat and stringy muscle. What's worse is that Max didn't hate it, and hated himself for not hating it. What a funny paradox that was. 

There really was no way out, was there? Max could feel a darkness creeping, just in the corner of his vision. He'd resisted for so long, fought for so long. For what? Daniel had already won the second he laid eyes on David again. What could Max really have done? And as much as he wanted to hate Daniel, or blame him, he couldn't. Those urges were always there, to tear apart and maim and hate, Daniel just added gasoline to the fire. Max was burning, there was no denying that anymore. Slowly green eyes fluttered shut, and Max let the darkness burn behind his eyelids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAA FUCKIN CHRIST??? WRITING????? MAKING WORDS GO???? IMPOSSIBLE GET OUT OF MY HOUSE


	28. Fragile Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel shows Max something important

Daniel was twirling his knife. For once, he felt a little anxious. Daniel was never anxious. Thought this, he rationalized, was a very special occasion. Things had been going smoothly. Gwen was pacified, the kids were oblivious, and David was madly in love,(And so was Daniel, to be honest). Now all that was left was Max. He needed to tie up that loose end as well. It wouldn't be too difficult, but a slip up could cause Max to tear it all down. As much as he wished he could just kill Max, that wasn't an option. David would kill him on the spot, no questions asked.

 

That meant he needed Max to trust him. As an ally. Great. How does one gain the trust of an angry, vindictive little ten year old? A thunk echoed in the room as he pressed his blade into the table, groaning. So inconvenient. Absently, one finger wiped the blood off his lips, and he regarded it thoughtfully. Hm. The memory of Max's little face, wide eyed and angry as he ripped that man to pieces. There was a devilish smile on Daniel's face. Yes, yes that would do quite nicely, he thought. Leaving his knife abandoned, he got up and left. Time to finally execute his plan.

 

Max still couldn't believe it. He was curled up in his tent, staring at his balled up hoodie. He hadn't touched it since... then. A few days had already passed, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. A mountain lion was one thing (though still he wasn't sure how he managed that one), but a human being? With a family, with beliefs?! He'd killed a man! Holy shit! Max groaned, putting his face in his hands. The worst part was that he regretted none of it, not one bit. What was wrong with him? The boy huffed and marched out. He needed some air.

 

Unfortunately, air would have to wait. Breath caught in his throat as he saw who was waiting for him. Daniel stood, arm wrapped around David's waist as the two murmured to each other.Judging by David's hesitant face, it wasn't great. Daniel glanced up, and smiled wide. Maxwell swallowed hard. "Hello Max! I was looking for you! I wanted to talk to you, in private." That was never a good sign. Max tensed. But if he said no, that'd be suspicious. And he and Daniel didn't need David catching on to their little "agreement". "Okay. But make it fast." He grumbled instead. Daniel beamed. "Wonderful! David, we'll be back before you know it! Think about my proposal." David just nodded, deep in thought. And Max was dragged away.

 

"So what the fuck did you want?" Max spat as soon as they were out of earshot, ripping his arm away from Daniel's iron grip. "Relax Maxwell, I wanted to talk about what happened with that uh... unfortunate man. Your hoodie is still stained?" Max tensed even more, but his face seemed to crumple. Daniel took the chance, sitting the boy down and gently rubbing his shoulder. "Still shaken up?" Max nodded in return. Opening up to Daniel of all people was a ridiculously stupid idea, but he couldn't help himself. "I don't feel bad about it! I don't care that he's dead! Fuck- I'm a monster." Heavily his head fell into his hands, and Max tried not to cry.

 

It was strange, but Daniel felt a twitch of pain in his chest to see Maxwell so distraught. No way- he was not going start caring about this brat too, David was more than enough emotional turmoil! Clicking his tongue, the blond gently pulled Maxwell against his side. "No you aren't. He deserved it, Max. He was cruel, horrible. Don't worry about not feeling bad. Death is..." He paused, thinking about it. "A release, of sorts. It's not inherently bad." He reached into his pocket, and Max watched with mild horror as he pulled out a live mouse. How long had that been in there?!

 

"Now now, don't give me that look Maxwell. Just trust me, for two seconds." Max gave him an unsure look, but nodded. "This mouse is afraid, yes?" "Duh." "Well, all you have to do is this." Daniel gently pressed his blade against the mouse's stomach, and it started to squeal. Max seemed uncomfortable. Daniel smiled a little. "Relax, just watch." Though Max really didn't want to look at the poor, terrified animal, he obeyed. The blade of the knife dug into the mouse's flesh, and Daniel gently sliced it open. As easily as that, the animal was dead. "You see? It's quiet now." As much as Max wanted to be horrified, he just couldn't be. Seeing the mouse... it gave him a weird sense of calm.

 

The mouse dropped down with a small thump into the grass, its fur stained with blood. There was an odd finality to it, like a string had been cut. Daniel seemed to have read his mind because he said, "Peaceful, isn't it? I'm telling you Max, there is a beauty in death, and I know you can see it." Daniel pulled out a cloth, and went about wiping his blade clean. A long, heavy silence let Max think about what he'd just seen. Daniel had been so... calm. And Max noticed, he was too. "Maybe- maybe I kinda can." He murmured.

 

A slow smile spread across Daniel's face, and he gently, almost tenderly put an arm around Max. "That's the spirit Max! I know it's jarring at first, but look at David! He's just like you and me, and yet he's so... nice!" There were a million other words to describe that man other than "nice", but Max really didn't want to argue that at the moment. "Yea... yea I guess you're right." "And listen Max. I know we haven't been on the best of terms-" a snort came from Max, he could say that again. Daniel looked annoyed, but cleared his throat and went on, "but I don't hate you! I don't think you're a bad kid, and I know you care a lot about David, as do I!"

 

"Okay, where is this going?" Annoyance and bemusement turned to curiosity, and Max stopped trying to wriggle away from Daniel's grip on his shoulder. "Well you see, I already discussed this with David, and I wanted to pass it on to you!" Daniel was beaming now, shiny teeth glinting with how far back his lips pulled, like a snarling animal. "I'm inviting you to come with me!" "Come with you?" "Yes! Away from camp, away from all these people who just don't understand! Maxwell...

 

I'm asking you to run away!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this took forever but WOW! I can’t believe this journey’s almost over. I have one more chapter, and a potenial epilouge in chapter 30. It’s been a damn honor writing with you boys


	29. Pack Your Bags

Water torture is a fairly well known method of interrogation. Waterboarding and such. However there is another kind, where the victim is forced to lay down under a dripping tap or something of the sorts. It drips water inconsistenly onto the victim's head, until they slowly go insane. That was how David felt. His fingers angrily scratched the wood, and the constantly ticking clock in the room made his teeth grit in rage. Everything set him on edge these days. There was a tension in the air, and he was just waiting for it to snap.

 

The door creaked open, and a mess of black hair peeked inside. "Huh- oh. Max." David slumped, like a puppet with cut strings. "Can I help you?" Evidently his smile must have been exhausted, because Max cast him a strange look. Was he really that haggard? Well, the past week or more had been pretty damn stressful, that was for sure.

 

"Hey David." Said the boy, stepping inside and closing the door. "So- Daniel told you about his plan with us?" David perked up a little at this, and his tired smile seemed to wake up. "Yea, he did Max. Why do you ask?" "Well he asked me too and..." the boy paused, then rubbed the back of his head. "I'm thinking about saying yes. I mean, I don't really have much waiting for me at home you know? My parents don't give a shit. I mean, going can't be worse than staying right? Shit- I just wanted to ask you David. Do you really trust Daniel?"

 

The sincerity of it genuinely shocked David, but he smiled again, nodding. "I do, Max. I really trust him." A nod was his reply. "Okay. Okay. You fucking trust the guy. Ok." He took a few shaky breaths, then looked up at David. So much had changed since all this happened. So much about himself, and about David. Though he'd deny it, Max knew that he cared about David. And David cared about him. That was new. But he needed David, like any kid needs a father figure, no matter how ridiculous the circumstance.

 

"Then I'm saying yes. I'll come with you both. Wherever the fuck you're going or whatever." Arms folded, he looked away. "Oh Max..." a pair of arms wrapped around him, gentle and caring. "H-hey! No get off me David! No PDA!" Max protested, thought he secretly enjoyed the contact. "Okay Max. Now how about you go? You need to still be there for camp activities, after all! I'll tell you more about our plans later." "Ugh, fine. Later." And he was gone.

 

David found his smile was much more genuine now.

 

Max didn't miss how Nikki and Neil watched him. They didn't get too close, but their concern was evident. It made him angry. They left him! It was supposed to be them against everyone, but that wasn't the case anymore. He just shot them a resentful glare and ignored them. It didn't matter anyway, he'd be out of here soon. As the day creeped along, Max actually found himself looking forward to it. He couldn't wait to leave this shit hole camp. Never see his parents again, never see any of these people again. It was a relief.

 

The elation was enough to carry Daniel all day. It had worked! Somehow, miraculously, Max had agreed. And with him, David came too! This was so much better than he could have ever anticipated! Things all clicked into place. Now all that was left was to clean up a few loose ends, and they could disappear. The old house had been scrubbed clean. All the blood was off the floor, and his tools were packed up. Daniel stood in front of it, at the end of his gasoline trail with a lit match between his fingers. "Bye bye."

The house went up in flames.

 

Hey, burn your bridges, right?

 

Maxwell found the note under his pillow. "Have your bags packed tonight, I'll be picking you up." It was signed by a little tree. Definitely David. Max snorted, but took the note and carefully folded it into his pocket. Should he say goodbye somehow? He cast a glance at the mess hall, then shook his head. No, they didn't deserve his goodbyes. Not anymore.

 

The evening rolled around like a lazy cat, stretching its body in the sun as it set. Max was sitting in his tent, bag clutched to his chest. Mr. Honeynuts was stuffed inside, and he was bundled in his hoodie again. The bloodstains didn't bother him that much anymore. A flickering flashlight alerted him, and he crawled out. "Hey Max." David said, smiling. "Hey." Came the grumpy response, but Max willingly came out.

 

The odd pair headed down to the main road, where Daniel stood. His headlights were on, and he leaned lazily against the car, smiling. "Hello you two! Are you ready to go?" His words directed at both of them, but his pale eyes looked at Max, asking one more time. "Yea. We're ready." Replied the boy, sounding more sure of himself than he knew he was capable of. This was really happening. Backing out wasn't an option anymore.

 

They piled into the car, and off they drove. Trees passed in a dark, eerie blur. Shapes moving like monsters in the dark. Maxwell wondered what it would be like when the morning came and they were all gone. Would the police search for them? Most likely, though not well. This town had a laughable police force. Would his parents care? Would Nikki? Neil? Most likely not, he decided. Though they'd definitely panic. The thought made him smile in a mean sort of way. Served them right.

 

Daniel hummed to himself as they drove, an old children's song. David had fallen asleep, and Maxwell was peacfully staring out the window. There was no tension in the car. Pale fingers curled even tighter around the steering where. Daniel felt a grin curl onto his face.

 

He won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, for all intents and purposes, the end! I will be posting a brief epilouge, and that is “chapter 30”. Thank you for joining me on an almost year long journey. I’ve learned so much, and I look forward to what the future brings!


	30. Epilouge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the end

Excerpt from a news article;  
"Six months later the search for missing child Maxwell, and missing counselor David continues. Last seen at summer camp, Camp Campbell. They disappeared on the morning of august 1st, and haven't been seen since. Police suspect that David and infamous murderer Daniel kidnapped the child during the night. Investigation is still underway. If you have any information, please contact-"

Gwen tossed the paper aside in disgust. The cops were no help then. She knew David didn't kidnapp him! The two were both taken- she was sure of it. It had been two months, and everyone left for home for the start of the school year a long time ago. In that time Gwen's memories had come flooding back, and she felt awful. Brushing Max aside, ignoring her feelings. It was her fault that they were gone. That Daniel had them. The months following were wracked with guilt, which was almost worse than the horrible dreams of Daniel’s too wide, cutting grin.

All she could really hope for was that he was still alive. Her fingers tap tap tapped against the steering wheel and she turned off the engine. Time to go inside, she suppoused. The woman stepped out and headed upstairs, fingers curled around the crumpled newspaper. After downing a (read: 3) coffee, she stumbled upstairs. What was the point anymore? 

Sure, David had been annoyingly optimistic and sometimes made Gwen want to shoot herself, but he wasn't a bad guy. Not by any means! Max was a brat- but he was 10! 10! And they were both gone. Weakly she clung to the hope that they were alive, but that got less likely each and every day. Gwen could feel her eyes well up, and tiredly rubbed them. She should get some sleep, maybe. 

Off came her shirt, replaced with a ratty old one instead. Her hair was let down and she shuffled into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Dull as ever. Her daze was interrupted by a flash past her window. Gwen whirled around, terror like an ice inside of her; with eyes like a wild animal backed into a corner she stared into the darkness to see-

Nothing. Nothing at all. 

The thudding of her heart stilled and she felt like an idiot. Of course there was no one there, just a lack of sleep getting to her. She brushed it off and finished washing up. The house always made her uneasy at night, and all she wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep. 

Slowly her feet dragged her to her bedroom, and she turned on the light. All breath was choked out of her then, and she felt an acute sense of sinking. 

On her bed lay a small, folded up note. 

Shaky fingers reached out to grab it, and she opened it. David's loopy, happy handwriting stared back. 

"Hello Gwen! I hope you're doing well, and Max says hi! We're doing great, so don't worry about us. Daniel's been very good! I just wanted to write you this to say that you don't seem to be feeling good, and I'm worried. You should get some sleep. Your house is lovely!   
P.S- I made your bed, it was getting really messy. You should know better!   
Your counselor buddy, David." 

Gwen's trembling ran up her body, until she was a shaking leaf in the wind. It was undeniably David, down to the stupid tree he drew next to his name. It made her want to cry her eyes out. Max was with him, and they were safe. But how sane? He... he had to have broken into her house to plant this. Something was deeply wrong with David, and there was nothing Gwen could do. She collapsed, and felt herself begin to cry. 

David looked proudly at the house. It was lovely. Maybe needed fixing, but he was up for it! A beautiful little cabin in the woods, with dark oak and a polished floor. Two stories even, and with plenty of room for the three of them! Daniel joined him, an arm wrapped around his lover. Max reluctantly stood, trying to pretend like he didn't like it as much as he did. 

Things were perfect! No police, a short drive to town, and his family all in one place! David could feel himself beaming. This was all he'd ever wanted, a new start! 

"You're pretty happy about this huh?" Max asked. He'd spoken much softer since they left, almost fondly when he talked to David. "Of course! This is the beginning of something amazing!" Said David, and Daniel tightened his grip a little. "It sure is Davey. It sure is." 

The sun began to set over the horizon, and even Max managed a quirk of the lip. He got what he wanted too. A family that cared, a house that didn't stink of cigars, and freedom. Freedom from his thoughts, anxieties, burdens. A few lives seemed a small price to pay. Yes, he thought. 

This was truly the best day of his life. 

 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodbye, everyone.

**Author's Note:**

> So, just to be clear! I'm uploading this fic from wattpad onto here. I am the original author, though my user is different. Call me cardboard!


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